Dodgers need to see the most out of these players after Blake Snell, Tommy Edman timelines revealed

With the Los Angeles Dodgers all but finished with making the final decisions regarding their Opening Day roster, Dave Roberts has also provided some early timelines for starting pitcher Blake Snell and utility man Tommy Edman. Snell is dealing with shoulder inflammation, while Edman is recovering from offseason ankle surgery.

Roberts told reporters that the Dodgers are expecting to have Edman back around the end of May, and that Snell is on a similar timeline.

There's never an ideal time for injuries, but the silver lining for the Dodgers is that they were aware of each player's status during spring training. But as LA waits for Snell and Edman to make their return, they will need the most out of the players replacing them on the Opening Day roster.

Blake Snell and Tommy Edman's injury update puts pressure on the Dodgers to rely on these players

Roki Sasaki

The player who benefited the most from Snell's injury may have been Roki Sasaki. Roberts revealed that Sasaki will be included in the Dodgers' starting rotation to open the season. Sasaki will open the season as the Dodgers' fourth starter, but to be clear, it wasn't because of anything he did during spring training.

Sasaki struggled throughout spring training, which made the Dodgers' decision to keep him in the rotation curious. He posted a 15.58 ERA in a tick under 9 innings pitched, and he walked over 28% of the hitters he faced. Despite those marks, Sasaki is ticketed to take Snell's spot in the rotation.

The Dodgers aren't quite at a point where they need to make a long-term determination on Sasaki's role, but if their rotation is going to have success in Snell's absence, the 24-year-old will need to quickly move past the struggles he had this spring.

Santiago Espinal

After spending the last two seasons as a favorite for Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona, Santiago Espinal's versatility appeared to play a key part in him landing a spot on the Dodgers' Opening Day roster. Of course, he was aided by the fact that Edman and Kiké Hernandez are dealing with injuries to start the season.

What makes Edman so valuable to the Dodgers is his ability to play multiple positions. Espinal will need to show off that versatility in LA in order to make the most out of his roster spot, especially since there remain questions over the team's decision to keep Alex Freeland on the roster over Hyeseong Kim.