Dodgers With Most to Prove Down the Stretch

Kenta Maeda and Hyun-Jin Ryu

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This is not concerning their struggles, far from it. Both are dealing right now, but that makes for a problem when it comes to choosing who to leave out in October. Hector Ponce delved into the Maeda vs. Ryu battle and explained his reasoning for who should be selected.

Barring any injuries, the Dodgers are expected to go with a Clayton Kershaw, Yu Darvish, Rich Hill and Alex Wood starting rotation. This means that neither will be in the rotation. However, one of them will at least be put into the bullpen for long relief, and a quality swingman is extremely important in the playoffs.

So both will be battling for this single spot, and this competition seems to be affecting them positively. Just look at their recent results.

However, one thing to keep in mind is if the Dodgers cannot find a strong left-handed reliever, Hyun-Jin Ryu may very well take up the role. That means Kenta Maeda can then take up the swingman role; both will be on the roster and Roberts can take it from there.

But again, that is just speculation. Ultimately though, there is a high chance that one of these guys gets left off, forcing them to consistently one-up each other these last several weeks and prove that they are up to the task.

Next: Ryu vs. Maeda

While standings-wise the Dodgers do not have much to play for, there are still some internal battles that will take place. There are always players who have to prove themselves and these 2017 Dodgers are no exception.