3 Dodgers who are proving they shouldn't be on the roster come June 1

The Los Angeles Dodgers have assembled the best roster in baseball. While you can't buy luck — as the Dodgers expected win-loss record might suggest — Los Angeles has come pretty close.

It's tough to pinpoint a couple of players on this Dodgers roster who don't deserve it. Heck, LA just traded for Eric Lauer, for goodness sake, and he totally deserves to be there despite an ERA well over six. So if Lauer isn't on this list, who should be? This is why they pay me the modest bucks. We can't all but Shohei Ohtani loaded.

Santiago Espinal is out of runway with the Dodgers

If you're trying to find a spot for Santiago Espinal on the Dodgers roster, you're already working too hard. Per the Dodgers depth chart, Espinal can play primarily first, second, or third base. That's the good news! The bad news is the Dodgers don't believe in Espinal enough to make him a primary backup. He's no higher than fourth string at any position.

And, again, it's not like Espinal has done enough with his playing time to deserve more chances. He has .568 OPS, which is well, well below the MLB average. If he can't give the Dodgers a boost with his bat, and isn't sure-handed enough to earn a spot based on his glove alone...then why is he still here?

Dodgers pitchers Paul Gervase & Jonathan Hernandez will be gone soon

This is no insult to Paul Gervase, who deserves a spot somewhere. Perhaps that could come via trade when he's designated for assignment, or maybe the Dodgers can stash him back in the minor leagues. But the byproduct of playing for a team with this many injuries to the pitching staff is that harsh decisions will, eventually, have to be made. Gervase has a 3.00 ERA, but he's only made one appearance so far in LA.

Gervase has a total of seven MLB appearances under his belt. That makes him expendable, especially for relief pitchers with far more experience than him. Consider, say, Jack Dreyer, who was placed on the IL recently for what Dave Roberts considers a minimal stint. When he returns, where will LA turn? Gervase is a clear roster cutdown candidate in that regard.

You have to hand it to the Dodgers, they are trying to spread the wealth. Los Angeles is giving Wyatt Mills MLB time — a player who hadn't pitched in the majors since 2022. Jonathan Hernandez is a bit better, but also hasn't thrown an MLB pitch since 2024. Los Angeles is also desperate. Chayce McDermott and Ben Casparius were both placed on the injured list in recent days. The Dodgers don't have much of a bullpen left.

The last time Hernandez was any good was back in 2022, when he had an ERA of 2.97. Injuries eventually caught up with him, since he missed the entire season prior. Ever since, Hernandez has been an average-at-best reliever and hopped around plenty. His last MLB appearance came in Seattle, when he had an ERA in over 11 in just three games. Hernandez is here for a fun time, but not a long time.

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