3 Dodgers who made the 2026 Opening Day roster but will be gone in a few months

The Dodgers' roster is as close to perfect as an MLB roster can get. Dave Roberts said, "I think this team, as far as the talent, the complete buy-in, this team is [the best]," after LA's 8-2 Opening Day win over the Diamondbacks ... but who are we kidding? He thinks? This guy definitely knows.

Still, there are a few guys living along the margins. Even the Dodgers can't have absolute perfection. With the depth the Dodgers have at their disposal, they can make a change in a heartbeat, and these guys are definitely facing the most pressure to perform — and quickly.

3 Dodgers who made the 2026 Opening Day roster but will be gone in a few months

Alex Freeland

Freeland was the unlikely choice to make the Opening Day roster over Hyeseong Kim, but he's far from secure in his platoon role at second base alongside Miguel Rojas. Dave Roberts added a vague warning when explaining the move: Freeland had some quality at-bats in spring training, but he actually needed to start hitting the ball.

Kim went down to Triple-A to keep getting consistent at-bats and prove to the Dodgers that he belongs in the majors over Freeland, who has the tougher battle trying to stand out among all of the superstars in LA, and facing major league pitching.

Both have minor league options, so we wouldn't be surprised if the Dodgers end up going back and forth and back and forth a few times throughout the season.

Edgardo Henriquez

Henriquez had a tough spring training (7.71 ERA in seven innings), but he still ended up making the roster. However, he, like Freeland, will probably have a short leash. Henriquez is a fireballer and guy the Dodgers would certainly like to turn into a smaller Edwin Díaz or Brusdar Graterol, but he's still working on refining his command.

The Dodgers have options in Triple-A. They sent Kyle Hurt down to start the year, conscious of his return from Tommy John, but given a few months of consistent, healthy outings? He could be a threat. Ronan Kopp and Paul Gervase are also on the 40-man roster and could be easy enough to swap out with Henriquez if he isn't showing signs of improvement.

Roki Sasaki

The Dodgers are giving Sasaki arguably too much leeway. By the end of spring training, even the most hopeful of Dodgers fans and writers had changed their tune. At the very least, his lack of command is ... concerning. At worst, it's just the beginning of a slow, sad letdown by one of the most-hyped arrivals of the last few years.

We won't go that far yet, though. It's already clear that Sasaki has the longest leash of anyone on this list, but if he gets to three or four bad starts, fans are going to be even louder about him needing a stint in Triple-A than we already have been.

He'll make his first start of the season on Monday against the Guardians, and it seems fair to say that no one knows what to expect. He dismissed his spring training struggles but offered no comfort or assurances as to how he might improve ahead of his season debut.

So, we'll see. But unfortunately, we're not optimistic.