Dodgers To Carry 7 Rookies On Postseason Roster
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The Dodgers have narrowed their roster to 25 players as the team prepares for its Division Series matchup with the Nationals.
Notably, seven rookies will dress for the series.
Some of those first-year players were obvious selections: standout shortstop Corey Seager and RHP Kenta Maeda, for example. But others were less expected, including Austin Barnes, who is the third catcher on the roster.
Read below for a full breakdown of the Dodgers' young talent:
COREY SEAGER: Seager -- a Dodgers first-round pick in 2012 -- broke out this year and is widely expected to win the NL Rookie of the Year award. In 157 games this season, the shortstop and third baseman has hit .308 with 192 hits and 72 RBI.
KENTA MAEDA: The right-hander was a standout in Japanese professional baseball before signing a reported eight-year, $25 million deal with the Dodgers in January. (The contract has an additional $10 million per year in added performance incentives, of which Maeda reportedly earned $9 million this year). Maeda is known for having excellent control on the mound and has become a reliable starter for the Dodgers amid injuries to other members of the rotation. In his debut season with the Dodgers, Maeda delivered a 16-11 record with a 3.48 ERA and 179 strikeouts.
ANDREW TOLES: Toles, a pinch hitter and outfielder, was called up by the Dodgers in July and has taken perhaps the most unusual path of any rookies onto the NLDS roster. A former standout prospect with the Tampa Bay Rays, he was cut from the team last year and was for a brief time bagging groceries in Atlanta before the Dodgers signed him as a free agent. Since being called up, Toles has impressed with his bat -- hitting .314 in 105 at-bats.
AUSTIN BARNES: Manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday he likes rookie Austin Barnes' versatility. While Carlos Ruiz will back up starter Yasmani Grandal behind the plate, Barnes will be the third catcher on the team's 25-man roster in the NLDS. Barnes was a surprise addition to the playoff roster, considering he's hitting .156 (Ruiz is batting .278.).
JULIO URIAS: The 20-year-old lefty has posted a 5-2 record this year since making his debut in May as the youngest starting pitcher in the MLB since 2005. (The Mexico native was signed by the Dodgers at age 16). In his debut season, Urias' 93 mph fastball has been known to yield plenty of ground balls. With Kershaw, Hill and Maeda expected to take mound in the first three games of the NLDS, Urias is an option as a possible Game 4 starter, although the Dodgers may opt to use him out of the bullpen to limit his pitch count.
ROSS STRIPLING: Right-hand pitcher Ross Stripling is another name being considered as a possible Game 4 NLDS starter. Stripling made the Dodgers opening day roster as the fifth starter and has become a feature of the rotation. He's 5-9 with a 3.96 ERA.
GRANT DAYTON: Right-handed reliever Dayton was a late add for the Nationals series. The 28-year-old impressed the team in Triple-A play this year, earning his first call up to the big leagues in July. He's boasted a stingy 2.05 ERA in 25 innings with the Dodgers.
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