Dodgers veteran could be in danger of losing roster spot with personnel crunch looming

With their win over the Mariners on Tuesday, the Dodgers officially became the winningest team in baseball, but the race toward the postseason is still tight all around. The Diamondbacks and Padres are lurking just behind in the NL West, and the Brewers are surging, fueled by a six-game winning streak. In the AL, the Red Sox are still a handful of games back of the last Wild Card spot, but that race remains far from decided.

However, the Dodgers pulling away a bit does provide more of a cushion and some relief to the feeling of being chased down by their division rivals. On Tuesday, that relief came thanks to Jason Heyward, who saved the Dodgers from having to go to extras with a three-run homer in the eighth, solidifying a comeback win for LA after Walker Buehler gave up three runs in the first three innings and the Dodgers were held scoreless until the fourth.

It was Heyward's first homer since July 21, and it immediately read as an argument for the veteran to keep his spot on the roster.

Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, and Tommy Edman are all back with the team — which spelled the end for Amed Rosario, Nick Ahmed, and Andy Pages — but Chris Taylor is also currently completing a rehab assignment in Triple-A and the Dodgers will have to make some space again when he's ready to come back.

Jason Heyward's game-winning homer might not be enough to save his space on Dodgers roster

If the Dodgers were brave enough, they would cut Taylor and eat the rest of the money they owe him, as his .167 batting average on the season certainly doesn't making him deserving of a roster spot, especially after a month-long absence. The Dodgers might have that conversation, but the easier thing to do for everyone would be to cut one of their one-year contract guys to avoid losing millions on one player.

Rosario is gone, Ahmed is gone, Kiké Hernández has been hitting better as of late, and is more versatile on defense than Heyward, Kevin Kiermaier was just acquired, and Teoscar Hernández is more likely to get an extension than to be sent to the wolves. Pages was the Dodgers' last remaining position player with minor-league options, and they can't afford to lose bullpen arms right now.

That pretty much just leaves Heyward, who is batting .208 this year and will be a free agent at the end of this season. It definitely seems like that homer was his LA swan song, and he'll be out the door as soon as Taylor is ready to be reactivated.