Dodgers manager Dave Roberts spoke with reporters (including Ken Gurnick of MLB.com and Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times) this evening. Roberts rounded up the team’s thinking as they approach their upcoming NL Championship Series matchup with the Braves.
Walker Buehler will get the start in Game 1, as he did in the NL Division Series opener with the Padres. Despite being nagged by a blister toward the end of the regular season, Buehler managed 95 pitches against San Diego. He should be capable of shouldering a similar workload tomorrow evening, Roberts said. Nevertheless, Los Angeles is considering adding a fifteenth pitcher to the roster. This year’s Championship Series carry the possibility of playing seven games in a seven day span, so the Dodgers are understandably looking into lengthening the pitching staff.
Whether the Dodgers add an extra pitcher could also depend upon the health status of designated hitter Edwin Ríos. The 26-year-old has mashed in limited MLB playing time over the past couple seasons but was left off the Division Series roster due to a groin issue. Ríos has progressed to running and taking live plate appearances, per Roberts, giving him a shot at making the NLCS roster. If Ríos does return, he’d likely be limited to pinch hitting, the skipper added.
If Rios is healthy enough, he’ll be on the roster. Kid can mash.
Vaya con Rios
He has such easy, ridiculous power. What’s impressed me just as much, has been his progress on defense. He can play a decent 3B too
Can Ríos can be as good as yordan alvarez? Or is he the type of dude that can only be used as a platoon?
If he can play defense and stay on the field, he’s more valuable than someone on the IL lol
But Yordan’s bat is way better than Rios atm. Rios has the power, not the batting average
Amen. His defense is certainly above average at 3B. Definitely a good backup to JT.
At the very least he could be compared to Joey gallo/Jose Batista hybrid. Swing looks sweet. I feel like dodgers will make the right call on turner staying or leaving if not Ríos can definitely fill the hole till hoese comes up
He’s not an above average defender, he’s just not. He’s more playable, and he’s decent for the short stint/ fill in role. With that said, there’s no part of me just like Muncy that wants to see Rìos in a playoff game.
Now he’s made considerable improvement in that area, and put the work in which is fun to see.
His defense is nowhere near above avg….. passable is a better word
I maintain my usage of… decent
Haha. He moves well for a big man, yes. From baseball savant he struggles going toward 1B but otherwise has been above average or average on other type of plays at 3B
If he can stand there and not be a total net negative, then it’s a massive net gain, to add any type of defensive value to his bat. He’s only 26. No reason he can’t improve. But decent/passable/etc is pretty close to on point lol
jeez, these Dodgers fans thing Rios is the baseball messiah. the guy is a solid baseball player. superstar he is not.
I don’t know anyone who thinks he’s a superstar
But he’s grown in front of fans eyes, if you actually watch him. He came up in 19 as pretty much just a power guy. But throughout this year he played a significant amount of 3B with JT out. And he surprised a lot of fans (me included) being able to handle 3B. He now has posted 160 and 145 wRCs in 2 partial seasons
Also a fun fact to show how good he’s been. He hits a HR every ~10.5 at bats or so. Better than anyone’s career pace, including McGwire
He also cut his K rate by 12.5% this year. There’s plenty of reason for fans to be excited to see if he can blossom in the majors, given the dodgers success at producing well rounded players
You really are saying dodger fans aren’t allowed to be excited about a young 3B with ridiculous power? Get over yourself
“Can Ríos can be as good as yordan alvarez?”
“At the very least he could be compared to Joey gallo/Jose Batista hybrid.”
Obviously the superstar comment by Darkside comes from these two comments.
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Why tf does everyone suddenly feel justified in telling dodger fans how to be fans?
Crap gets old fast
Reductio ad absurdum.
Don’t you have a BLM meeting to go to Darkside?
Don’t believe the “superstar” moniker was used, a..hat.
So Yordano wasn’t a superstar last season? Jose Bautista wasn’t a superstar and a top five to eight hitter for a number of years?
Those are the players he’s comparing them to. Gallo isn’t a superstar, but he’s a good player when healthy.
It’s amazing how no one can question the opinions of Dodger fans around here.
A guy who can’t stay in the field AS A DH… as a ROOKIE… is not a superstar.
Joey Bats was a Star…at 29, after he was a AAAA player for years. He was 29(!) when he posted his first comparable OPS+ to Rios either first 2 years. Rios came up at 25 and immediately put up a 160 OPS+
gallo is the best of the bunch and he just looked like CRAP all year. Boy I hope Rios can top that 84 OPS+ or that 181/301/378 line. With a 35% strike out rate!!!! Strike some fear in me! More like strike out
They clearly are looking at high strike out, high power bats, and for José, someone who can play 3B
If Rios becomes ANY of those guys it’s an absolute homerun for LA. Don’t think that’s a secret. But there aren’t a ton of guys who fit that profile. There’s only so many DH’s. So the bar becomes.. better or worse?
It’s a story about the damn guy. How dare people speculate on potential after multiple seasons in the majors, on an article about the guy. Looking at players from the recent past who share his position!!!!!!!! Argghhhhh
Get over yourself. You and darkside. You idiots are the only ones saying superstar, then getting mad about it. All those guys are flawed hitters at best. Not superstars. Not in the real world
Or… do your homework before you start complaining. They aren’t horrible comps dude if you looked at the comp not just yelled HOW DARE YOU!
Dodges don’t need him to be a superstar
I’m not a Dodgers fan, but I do like Rios. I thought he was destined to be a DH, but if he can play the field, he is way more interesting.
I’m very envious on how Dodgers year in and year out continue to develop great young talent. This allows them to get players like Betts. Something the Yankees know nothing about. Hopefully they finally win a WS and don’t choke. It would be nice though if they play the Astros and Correa gets a ball between his eyes for payback for cheating