LOS ANGELES DODGERSDAILY CLIPS

SUNDAY, AUGUST 12, 2018

MLB.COMWood set to come off DL for Giants seriesBy Anne Rogers

DENVER -- Alex Wood will come off the 10-day disabled list and start on Tuesday in the second game of the Dodgers' series against the Giants in Los Angeles, manager Dave Roberts said on Saturday.

The left-hander went on the DL on Aug. 4 with left adductor tendinitis after experiencing cramping the day before, during his start against the Astros. Wood dealt with tendinitis and hamstring problems earlier in the season but pitched through them to a 3.58 ERA and 7-6 record over 22 starts.

The setup for the rest of the rotation has not been decided. Roberts said Ross Stripling and Kenta Maeda are in the mix, as well as Hyun-Jin Ryu, who has been on rehab assignment in Double-A and Triple-A since the beginning of August.

Ryu was put on the 10-day DL with a left groin strain on May 3, but the Dodgers transferred him to the 60-day DL a month later. Roberts said Ryu will not make another rehab start, but the manager would not confirm when the lefty will rejoin the Dodgers' rotation.

"He's got to slot in somewhere," Roberts said.

Injury update: JansenAs the Dodgers struggle to solidify their rotation, their relievers are also being forced into new roles as they face pressure from Kenley Jansen's absence. The closer is on the DL with an irregular heartbeat.

On Saturday, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Jansen will have a follow-up appointment with his cardiologist in Los Angeles on Aug. 20. While Friedman is encouraged by Jansen's mindset, he did say the club is prepared for Jansen to miss an extended period of time.

"It could be anywhere from [after the Aug. 20 appointment] until sometime in September," Friedman said. "The quality of life and his health is most important."

Friedman said he is encouraged by what the cardiologists are relaying to the club and he thinks Jansen will be able to resume baseball activities before Aug. 20 to keep in shape. He did not say what medication Jansen has been prescribed or whether he will require a surgery similar to one Jansen had in 2012.

"Obviously this is very different than anything else," Friedman said, "and we're very reliant on the cardiologists and them telling us when and how to progress."

Grandal gets a breatherDodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal was in the initial lineup for Saturday's game against the Rockies, but an hour later, he was removed for backup catcher Austin Barnes. Roberts said it was nothing more than Grandal has played three days in a row and two in a row in Denver's thin air.

"Had him in there, he wanted to be in there, but just kind of seeing him today, I just felt it was best to take it off his hands and keep him available off the bench and get a fresh Austin Barnes in there," Roberts said. "My instinct was to retract the original lineup. He'll be in there tomorrow."

Roberts said he was hoping to start Grandal on Saturday and Barnes on Sunday for the series finale, based on how the rotation stacked up.

"There was something to [Grandal] catching Walker [Buehler, Saturday's starter] and they had a good synergy going and Rich [Hill, Sunday's starter] with [Barnes], so we were kind of pushing it a little bit," Roberts said. "But we feel good about this, too."

Dozier, Machado start unreal double playBy Anne Rogers

DENVER -- When the Dodgers traded for shortstop Manny Machado and second baseman Brian Dozier in July, they were looking for more than just the bats that the two brought to the club.

In the bottom of the third inning at Coors Field on Saturday night, the new duo in the Dodgers' infield turned a highlight-reel double play against the Rockies. After starting pitcher Walker Buehler walked Charlie Blackmon, DJ LeMahieu grounded a hard-hit ball to Dozier. Dozier dove for it -- fully extended -- and flipped the ball with his glove to Machado at second base.

Machado fired it to Max Muncy at first and ended the inning with the Dodgers' 2-0 lead intact.

"That's why you trade for players like that," Buehler said. "We gave up a lot of great players for those two guys, and both of them have come in and been phenomenal."

Dozier made an eerily similar play in the ninth to prevent a run before Ryan McMahon hit a walk-off three-run homer for a 3-2 Rockies win.

Dozier's save in the third was one of three double plays that the Dodgers turned to back up Buehler's seven scoreless innings. In the fourth, Yasiel Puig tracked down a fly ball in right field and launched it to first to get Gerardo Parra tagging. And in the sixth, Trevor Story grounded into a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.

"What they're doing up the middle is different," Buehler said. "They did it in the ninth, too. It's been unbelievable."

Bullpen stumbles after Buehler blanks RoxBy Anne Rogers

DENVER -- Walker Buehler fired a gem, but an uncertain bullpen unraveled on Saturday night, as the Dodgers suffered a 3-2 walk-off loss to the Rockies on Ryan McMahon's three-run homer in the ninth inning.

It was McMahon's second game-winning home run in as many nights off the Dodgers bullpen, which lost closer Kenley Jansen to the disabled list on Thursday. McMahon's two-run shot in the seventh inning off Zac Rosscup led the Rockies to a 5-4 win on Friday. On Saturday, the loss went to JT Chargois.

"It's a tough one," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "All losses are tough, but when you're an out away from going up 2-1 in the series, lose two games like we have, it's tough."

It also wasted an excellent start from the rookie Buehler, who scattered four hits over seven scoreless innings at hitter-friendly Coors Field. It was the first time in his career that he pitched seven shutout innings.

A Dodgers starter hadn't gone seven or more innings since July 31 -- and that starter was Buehler. He said Saturday reminded him of his start against San Diego at home on May 27, when he had a similar line: seven innings, one run on four hits and eight strikeouts against no walks. That makes the three walks he allowed on Saturday sting a little.

"This one was probably my best outing outside of that," Buehler said. "The three walks are kind of annoying to me now, because you take away those three at-bats I probably get into the eighth there, so those three walks hurt. I kind of learned from it."

If Buehler had made it to the eighth, this might be a different story. He turned a 2-0 lead over to a Dodgers bullpen that has some uncertain roles with Jansen down. Caleb Ferguson is one reliever who is being called on in higher-leverage situations. In Thursday night's 8-5 win, he pitched 1 2/3 innings and allowed two hits. But because threw 28 pitches, it was predetermined that he would only go one inning on Saturday. That's what he did, throwing a perfect eighth on 15 pitches.

Roberts went to two relievers for the ninth inning. Scott Alexander -- who notched his second save of the season on Thursday -- gave up a one-out double to Trevor Story, so Roberts turned to Chargois to face pinch-hitter Nolan Arenado, who was out of the starting lineup with a sore right shoulder.

"You don't have that guy who has proven to get outs in the ninth inning," Roberts said. "That's where we're out right now. We talked about closer by committee and giving guys opportunity and the matchups that we feel are going to give us the best chance to get three outs."

Roberts matched Chargois (2-4) with Arenado because he's limited right-handed hitters to a .215 average (17-for-79) and struck out 28 of them this season. And Roberts didn't want Alexander facing Arenado, who "does a lot of damage against lefties" and homered off Alexander on June 29.

Chargois hit Arenado on the left hip, bringing the potential go-ahead run to the plate in Ian Desmond. Desmond grounded into a fielder's choice for the second out, but McMahon, a lefty, ended the game with a 391-foot shot to right field on a 1-0 count.

"Arenado, we were trying to attack with sliders, get ahead of him, and it didn't work out," Chargois said. "Thought I battled with Desmond, got a ground ball, just didn't end up in a place where we were able to turn two. And then I left that pitch up, and [McMahon] hit it."

The Dodgers got on the board on Justin Turner's RBI triple in the first and Yasiel Puig's 100th career homer in the second before Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland settled in, striking out a career-high 10 over seven innings.

YOU GOTTA SEE THISIn the third inning, the new duo in the Dodgers' infield turned a highlight-reel double play. After Buehler walked Charlie Blackmon, DJ LeMahieu grounded a hard-hit ball to second baseman Brian Dozier. Dozier dove for it -- fully extended -- and flipped the ball with his glove to shortstop Manny Machado at second base. Machado fired it to Max Muncy at first and ended the inning with the Dodgers' 2-0 lead intact.

Dozier made an eerily similar play in the ninth on Desmond's grounder up the middle, but there wasn't enough time for a game-ending double play.

BUEHLER NOT FAZED BY COLLISIONRoberts called Buehler resilient, and not just because he had one of the best starts of his young career.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, LeMahieu hit a bouncer to Muncy, but the ball bounced off of the first baseman's glove and into foul territory. Buehler and Muncy both sprinted over to try to catch it, but collided instead. Both were OK, even though Buehler took quite a tumble. Muncy clipped Buehler's calf, but he doesn't expect anything to come of it.

"I'm just happy that he went down, too," Buehler joked. "If I would have been the only one down, I would have been embarrassed. I was flailing all over the place, but he's a lot bigger than me."

UP NEXTLeft-hander Rich Hill (5-4, 3.62 ERA) will face Rockies righty Chad Bettis (5-2, 5.67) in Sunday's 12:10 p.m. PT series finale. Hill earned the win in his last outing, on Tuesday against the A's, giving up two runs on three hits in 5 2/3 innings. He hasn't pitched at Coors Field since 2008, when he was a member of the Cubs and gave up two runs on three hits in five innings.

LA TIMESDodgers closer Kenley Jansen could be out until SeptemberBy Andy McCullough

Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen will not pitch until undergoing a follow-up examination on his irregular heartbeat on Aug. 20. In addressing Jansen’s timetable for the first time since his episode on Thursday, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman sounded optimistic about Jansen’s long-term status but cautioned he may not be available until September.

Jansen left the team Friday for tests in Los Angeles after experiencing a recurrence of the symptoms that plagued him on multiple occasions. He underwent an ablation to correct the issue in 2012, but the symptoms returned upon arrival in Denver late Wednesday night.

“The quality-of-life aspect, his health, is the most important thing,” Friedman said Saturday. “When we get to [Aug. 20], I think we’ll start thinking about the baseball part, as the cardiologist tells us we can. And start thinking through how to keep him in as good a shape as we can, based on what he’s able to do.”

Friedman described the results of Jansen’s examinations as “positive,” with Jansen in stable condition and his heart issues considered manageable. Friedman indicated Jansen may be cleared for physical activity before Aug. 20 but would not be allowed to appear in a game. It is “certainly possible” Jansen would be able to pitch Aug. 21, Friedman said.

Jansen will not require immediate surgery, Friedman said.

“Everything was discussed,” Friedman said. “But it’s not necessary right now.”

Jansen dealt with similar symptoms in 2011 and 2012. He sat out a month in 2011 and three weeks in 2012. He had an episode related to the Coors Field altitude in 2015, but returned to the mound a few days later.

Jansen has expressed his hope to the Dodgers that he will be able to pitch by the time the team returns to Denver on Sept. 7. The team will continue to allow him to play in the thin air here, despite his issues in the past.

“He’s in a really good frame of mind,” Friedman said. “We’ll hold down the fort for him and be ready to receive him with open arms when he’s ready.”

Until that day arrives, the team will improvise. These are dire times for manager Dave Roberts’ bullpen. He lacks many pitchers he can trust. And now he will be without his three-time All-Star closer.

Scott Alexander earned a save Thursday. After starting Friday, Kenta Maeda will likely return to the bullpen and split save opportunities with Alexander. The Dodgers can also deploy Alexander or Maeda in the highest-leverage moments of the game, using less reliable but still useful relievers like J.T. Chargois or Dylan Floro for the final innings.

The team had hoped to shift its bullpen into place by October. The loss of Jansen accelerates the timetable. The Dodgers will activate Alex Wood from the disabled list to start Tuesday against San Francisco, and will do the same for Hyun-Jin Ryu later in the week. Wood and Ross Stripling are candidates to stabilize the bullpen, given the team’s surplus of starting pitchers.

“We feel good about the number of quality pitchers we have,” Friedman said. “Now we just have to figure out roles and figure out how to best line them up to help us win games.”

Dodgers waste a sterling performance by Walker Buehler in 3-2 loss to RockiesBy Andy McCullough

The circumstances of a baseball season wrench a bullpen into misalignment. Across 162 games, a team often competes with its relief corps at less than full strength. Pitchers get injured. They require days off. Freak injuries or things like the recurrence of Kenley Jansen’s heart condition can happen.

And yet, the circumstances of a baseball season do not force teams to do what the Dodgers did in the ninth inning Saturday night at Coors Field. Protecting a two-run lead and scrambling to match up against the Colorado Rockies lineup, manager Dave Roberts learned the perils of using a committee to close. His process backfired in a 3-2 defeat that cost his team a chance to claim first place in the National League West.

After left-handed reliever Scott Alexander gave up a one-out double, Roberts pulled him for right-handed pitcher J.T. Chargois, hoping Chargois could get the final two outs against two right-handed hitters. But when Chargois drilled pinch-hitter Nolan Arenado, left-handed hitter Ryan McMahon could bat with two outs and two runners aboard. McMahon crushed a walkoff three-run home run into the right-field seats.

“You don’t have that guy who is proven to get outs in the ninth inning,” Roberts said. “That’s where we’re at right now.”

Responsibility for the failure spanned from the front office to the field. The Dodgers did not address the holes in their bullpen at the trade deadline, preferring to eventually build a relief corps out of leftover starting pitchers, all of whom are still being used as starters. Roberts miscalculated the necessity of the platoon advantage compared with the unreliability of Chargois. He leaned on the prior history of Alexander, who had given up a home run to Arenado on June 29.

Rather than let Alexander finish the game, Roberts said he opted to create “a great runaway” for Chargois, who was claimed off waivers in February, demoted to the minors in May and generally succeeds only against right-handed hitters. The path led to an unfair matchup against McMahon.

And yet Chargois, who entered the game allowing left-handed hitters a .982 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, is still capable of collecting outs. Instead he lacked command of his slider and missed the intended location on the 95-mph fastball crushed by McMahon.

“I left that pitch up,” Chargois (2-4) said. “And he hit it.”

The defeat wasted a sterling performance from Walker Buehler. Buehler provided stability, and his defense provided backup. Shaky early, Buehler struck out six, scattered four hits and survived three walks. Yasiel Puig hit the 100th home run of his career in an otherwise quiet night for the offense.

The Dodgers struck out 10 times against starter Kyle Freeland. Justin Turner bashed an RBI triple in the first inning and Puig went deep in the second. From there, the bats slumbered. The Dodgers advanced a runner to second base only once after the second inning.

Buehler was making his second start at Coors Field. His defense backed him up. Brian Dozier and Manny Machado turned a picturesque double play in the third and Puig cut down outfielder Gerardo Parra for another double play in the fourth.

Buehler narrowly avoided a disaster in the field in the sixth. It started with a grounder down the first base line from second baseman DJ LeMahieu. Max Muncy charged the baseball, which skipped off his glove into foul territory. Buehler had been trailing the play. When the ball squirted free, he accelerated toward the line.

The teammates were on an inadvertent collision course. Buehler realized it at the last moment. He slowed up, but still got leg-whipped by Muncy. The right knee of Muncy crashed into Buehler’s left calf. Buehler spun out and thudded into the grass.

“I was just happy that he went down, too,” Buehler said. “If I had been the only one to go down, I would have been embarrassed.”

As Buehler pulled himself to his feet, Roberts and a member of the training staff came to check on him. Buehler stayed in the game. Two batters later, he induced a 5-4-3 double play to escape the inning. He returned for the seventh and finished his outing with a 98-mph fastball to fan catcher Chris Iannetta.

From there, Roberts played roulette with his relievers. Caleb Ferguson notched three outs in the eighth. Ferguson, a 22-year-old rookie, had collected five outs Thursday. Roberts indicated it was “predetermined” before the game that Ferguson could pitch only one inning.

Alexander was primed for the ninth. He closed Thursday, the first day without Jansen. As he dueled with shortstop Trevor Story, Arenado came off the bench and moved to the on-deck circle. Chargois started to warm up. Roberts was prepared for this scenario. He wanted Chargois to face Arenado.

His reasoning relied, in part, on an incredibly small sample size. Alexander has opposed Arenado four times. Arenado made an out three times. He homered on the fourth. Alexander relies on sinkers, but Roberts still fretted about Arenado hitting a home run.

“Neither guy has really closed,” Roberts said. “And I just felt that to put both those guys in the position to have success, that was the right decision.”

The rest unfolded like a nightmare. Alexander gave up a double to Story. Arenado came to the plate. Roberts replaced Alexander with Chargois. And Chargois wilted.

OC REGISTERRockies’ late rally costs Dodgers chance to take sole possession of NL West leadBy Bill Plunkett

DENVER — Before Friday’s game at Coors Field, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said it would take a “committee” to replace closer Kenley Jansen, out indefinitely while being treated for an irregular heartbeat.

Roberts was asked how big that committee is and who would be on it.

“They’re all on it,” Roberts said with a smile. “Eight-man committee.”

Replacing Jansen at the back end of the bullpen is a short-term problem (though it could last four to six weeks). Getting a lead into the ninth inning remains as challenging for the Dodgers as trying to get a wobbly-wheeled shopping cart to the checkout counter without crashing into the canned goods.

Trying to protect a one-run lead, lefty reliever Zac Rosscup gave up a two-run home run to former teammate Ryan McMahon in the seventh inning Friday and the Colorado Rockies handed the Dodgers a 5-4 defeat.

With the loss, the Dodgers wasted an opportunity to take over sole possession of first place in the National League West. Instead, they finished the day the way it started – in a dead heat with the Arizona Diamondbacks (who were shut out in Cincinnati on Friday) atop the division.

With Alex Wood and Hyun-Jin Ryu potentially returning to the rotation as early as next week, Dodgers starter Kenta Maeda could be part of the bullpen committee soon.

“It’s on the table,” Roberts acknowledged after the game. “I think when you’re talking about having leverage arms out there and whoever the one or two guys we decide to go out there, it’s a need and it’s actually a compliment to pitch those innings.

“Kenta’s done it and for him to go out there – if it is the case – we would count on him for leverage in a couple innings. It’s certainly on the table as with all the guys.”

Maeda’s start Friday was his 20th of the season, earning him a $1 million bonus. He worked for it. The Rockies nearly hit for the cycle in the first inning (a single by Charlie Blackmon, a two-run homer by D.J. LeMahieu and a triple by Carlos Gonzalez) and had five hits and three walks in the first four innings, putting multiple runners on base each inning.

They stranded six while scoring three on Maeda before he settled in better. By the end of the fifth, the Dodgers had given him a 4-3 lead on an RBI single by Yasmani Grandal, a two-run home run by a revived Max Muncy and a two-out, RBI single by Cody Bellinger (his third hit in the game).

Roberts let Maeda bat for himself with a runner on third and one out in the sixth inning, trading a chance to add to the lead for the extra outs he thought he could get from Maeda on the mound.

“You’ve got to get 12 outs,” Roberts said. “We could have hit somebody right there but I just felt in the sixth inning, where the ’pen was at … I just felt he was the best chance to get those outs for us.”

Maeda faced two right-handed batters in the bottom of the sixth. Ian Desmond singled and Chris Iannetta struck out. A stretch of left-handed hitters loomed in front of Maeda.

Finding a lefty specialist has been a problem for the Dodgers since Tony Cingrani went to the DL with shoulder problems. Roberts options now are Scott Alexander, Caleb Ferguson, the two-handed Pat Venditte and Rosscup, who was claimed off waivers from the Rockies a month ago.

“It makes it a little bit more challenging,” Roberts said of living without a LOOGY. “You’re giving guys opportunities to have success and see how they respond. We had questions about Alexander early and he’s passed many tests. So now you’re looking at Rosscup and Venditte and Ferguson has shown really well.”

Ferguson was unavailable after pitching 1-2/3 innings Thursday. Roberts figured he would need Alexander later.

So he went with Rosscup.

Rosscup struck out three lefties – pinch-hitter Gerardo Parra, Blackmon and Gonzalez – with a single by LeMahieu sprinkled in. The fourth lefty, McMahon, gave the Rockies the lead when he launched a 1-and-0 fastball from Rosscup over the wall in center field.“I liked him against McMahon,” Roberts said of the matchup. “He fell behind 1-0 and threw a fastball up and McMahon put a good swing on it.”

If Jansen had been available to pitch the ninth, Roberts’ decision-making would undoubtedly have been different. But the Dodgers will have to learn to live with the trickle-down effect of Jansen’s absence.

“It’s calling for us to put guys in positions they haven’t been in, putting them in higher-leverage spots and extending them,” Roberts said. “When you’ve got 12 outs to go and you’re looking at the ballpark we’re in, you’ve got to try to extend guys.”

A night after giving up five home runs to the Dodgers in the final three innings, the Rockies made this lead stand up, stranding the tying run at third in the eighth inning after a Muncy double and a wild pitch.

Dodgers ‘encouraged’ but could be without Kenley Jansen until ‘some time in September’By Bill Plunkett

DENVER – After two days of examinations and consultation with cardiologists in Los Angeles, Kenley Jansen texted that he was “feeling great” but needed rest.

The Dodgers were “encouraged” by the news from those exams. But Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Saturday at Coors Field that the team will be without its closer until at least Aug. 20 and possibly into September while he receives treatment for an irregular heartbeat.

“He’s going for a follow-up appointment on August 20 so it will be anywhere from then to some time in September. We’re not sure,” Friedman said. “The quality-of-life aspect, his health, is the most important thing. When we get to Monday, I think we’ll start thinking about the baseball part as the cardiologist tells us we can and start thinking through how to keep him in as good a shape as we can based on what he can do. But all in all, it’s very positive.”

Friedman said the cardiologist indicated Jansen’s alertness to his symptoms Thursday in Denver bodes well for his recovery.

“Fortunately he’s dealt with this in the past so he was able to catch it on the front end which, talking to the cardiologist last night and again this morning, is something that bodes really well for him going forward,” Friedman said.

Jansen experienced bouts of atrial fibrillation – an irregular heartbeat – in 2011 and 2012. That was treated with ablation surgery in October 2012, a procedure during which areas of heart tissue are cauterized to prevent it from sending the signals that trigger an irregular heartbeat. Following the 2011 episode, Jansen was placed on anticoagulant medication and sat out nearly a month. Friedman said Jansen does not necessarily have to sit out as long this time. The potential for another surgical procedure does exist, however.

“As far as what it means for the offseason, next year – I’m not sure at this point,” he said. “(Surgery is) definitely not necessary right now so I think that will be revisited.”

Jansen’s heart issues seem to have been triggered by the altitude in Denver on more than one occasion. But Friedman said the cardiologist indicated altitude didn’t exacerbate the problem and there’s no medical reason for Jansen to avoid pitching at Coors Field in the future. The Dodgers are scheduled to return for a three-game series Sept. 7-9 – games that could figure prominently in the National League West race.

“We actually talked about coming in September, assuming he’s active, that this is something we’ll conquer together,” Friedman said.

“Of course you could (have Jansen skip trips to Denver). The cardiologists don’t feel that’s necessary. Now – the Dodgers might, Kenley might at some point. I don’t know the answer to that right now. But we’ve already talked to him about the September trip and he’s of the mind that he’s optimistic about being active and helping us win games.”

STARTERS STACK UP

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said left-hander Alex Wood will come off the DL and start Tuesday’s game at home against the San Francisco Giants.

Roberts also said left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu will not make another rehab start. That means Ryu is almost certain to be activated from the DL some time next week. Ross Stripling, Kenta Maeda and Ryu are all “in the mix” to start Wednesday’s game against the San Francisco Giants. The Dodgers are off Thursday.

Friedman said the surplus starters who wind up in the bullpen could be part of the solution as the Dodgers try to cope without Jansen for the next few weeks.

“As we figure out our rotation and potentially what falls out of that will be something that strengthens our bullpen,” he said. “We’re still figuring out exactly what that means.

“We’ll be creative and we have some off days coming up we’ll utilize as we figure it out. We feel good about the number of quality pitchers we have. Now we just have to figure out roles and how best to utilize everyone.”

UP NEXT

Dodgers LHP Rich Hill (5-4, 3.62 ERA) at Rockies RHP Chad Bettis (5-2, 5.67 ERA), Sunday, 12:10 p.m., SportsNet LA (where available)

Ryan McMahon, Rockies spoil the Dodgers’ night for second consecutive gameBy Bill Plunkett

DENVER – So this is their life now.

For the second consecutive night, former Mater Dei two-sport star Ryan McMahon drove home the point. This time, the Dodgers were only one out away from taking sole possession of first place in the National League West when McMahon hit a three-run walkoff home run to give the Colorado Rockies a 3-2 victory Saturday night.

On Friday, McMahon hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning that lifted the Rockies to a 5-4 victory.

In both cases, the victims – left-hander Zac Rosscup on Friday and right-hander J.T. Chargois on Saturday – were pitching in situations they probably would not have been in if Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen were available.

But Jansen is sidelined, being treated for an irregular heartbeat, leaving the Dodgers’ bullpen with no back.

“Obviously you don’t have that guy who’s proven to get outs in the ninth inning. That’s where we’re at right now,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “We talked about ‘closer-by-committee’ and giving guys opportunities and the matchups that we feel will give us the best opportunity to get those last three outs.”

After rookies Walker Buehler and Caleb Ferguson combined to get a shutout into a ninth inning at Coors Field, Roberts convened the committee.

Scott Alexander has been the Dodgers’ most reliable reliever and the leading candidate to assume the closer role in Jansen’s absence. But that is not the Dodgers’ plan. Matchup-based decisions are.

Alexander struck out the left-handed Carlos Gonzalez but gave up a double to right-handed Trevor Story. Nolan Arenado did not start the game because of a sore shoulder. But when Rockies manager Buddy Black sent Arenado up as a pinch-hitter, Roberts wanted a right-hander.

But his best right-handed reliever, Dylan Floro, was unavailable based on usage recently – he pitched in three of the previous four games and warmed up in the other. So Roberts went with Chargois.

“I just felt Arenado does a lot of damage against lefties. There’s some history there,” Roberts said. “You’ve got Desmond behind him. It’s a great runway for Shaggy who’s shown the ability

to consistently get righties out, put them on the ground or strike them out. You got that. You got an out. I just felt it was the right play.”

The history between Alexander and Arenado is minimal – four plate appearances, one hit (a home run) and a walk.

“Arenado has homered off him before so he has put the ball in the air off him,” Roberts said, defending his decision. “You look at the ground-ball ratio and the success with Chargois — it’s pretty stark that Chargois has a better chance.

“Neither guy has really closed. I just felt to put both those guys in a position to have success, that was the right decision.”

Based on the results, it wasn’t.

Chargois fell behind 3-and-1 then hit Arenado in the left hip with a slider. Perhaps Chargois’ best pitch, he had difficulty controlling his slider Saturday.

“That’s fair to say. He wasn’t as sharp with it today. But that happens,” Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes said. “He’s still got a good mix with his sinker. We should still be able to get guys out.”

Chargois got Ian Desmond to bounce a ball up the middle. Second baseman Brian Dozier made a sprawling stop then flipped the ball from his glove to Manny Machado while lying on the ground. Dozier made the same play for one of three double plays the Dodgers turned for Buehler.

This one only went for a single out and brought up the left-handed McMahon. Roberts’ only left-handed option to face him was two-handed Pat Venditte.

He left Chargois in and McMahon clubbed his 1-and-0 fastball over the scoreboard in right field.

“Arenado, we were trying to attack with sliders and get ahead of him,” Chargois said. “Battled with Desmond and got a ground ball. Unfortunately, it was in a place where we couldn’t get the double play.

“Left that (last) pitch up and he hit it.”

A win either Friday or Saturday would have moved the Dodgers ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks and alone atop the division. Their bullpen wouldn’t let it happen.

“We have confidence in all these guys,” Barnes said. “I think everybody is capable of getting big outs in big situations. Obviously it was a luxury having Kenley for so long. He’s one of the best in the game. But we’re confident in all these guys stepping up for us.”

TRUE BLUE LADylan Floro has quietly been the Dodgers’ best additionBy Blake Harris

When thinking of mid-season acquisitions the Dodgers have made, you immediately think of the Manny Machado trade. And rightfully so.

Over the last few seasons, Machado has been one of the better two-way players in all of baseball. Picking up a player of his caliber is rare, and it showed the Dodgers were really going for it.

Another name that comes to mind is Brian Dozier. This was a last-minute deal at the deadline, but another huge one for LA. Over the last few seasons, Dozier has been one of the better hitting second-basemen in the game, especially in the second half.

Those were two big acquisitions the Dodgers have made during the 2018 season, but they haven’t been the most important.

On July 4, while everyone was celebrating the holiday by grilling hot dogs and setting off fireworks, the Dodgers quietly made a trade that has impacted them not only up to this point, but looks as if it will impact them through the rest of the season and potentially through the postseason. That was of course, trading for Dylan Floro.

For Floro, this was his second round-a-bout in the Dodgers organization. In August of 2017 he was claimed off of waivers after being designated for assignment by the Cubs. He never saw time in a Dodgers uniform though, and elected free-agency at the end of the season.

In January of 2018, Floro signed a minor-league contract with the Cincinnati Reds. He appeared in 25 games, going 3-2 and posting a very respectable 2.72 ERA. In 36 1⁄3 innings he had 27 strikeouts and 12 walks.

In desperate need of bullpen help, the Dodgers traded for the right-hander, along with RHP Zach Neal.

Since Floro’s July 8 debut in Anaheim, he’s been amongst one of the best relievers in all of baseball. In his 13 appearances with LA, he has posted a 1.93 ERA. More impressively, hitters are hitting a remarkable .089 against him, which is the best in all of baseball. When balls are put in play, the average barely climbs up to .107, which is the third best in the league. His WHIP of 0.43 is also the best in the MLB during this stretch.

Of the 48 batters Floro has faced, 16 have struck out. At 33.3 percent, only six pitchers have a higher strikeout percentage. With a strikeout-to-walk percentage of 29.2 percent, Floro is amongst the highest in baseball as well, with only five pitchers posting a better percentage.

As superb as Floro’s numbers have been, what truly stands out is his ability to pitch in high leverage situations. Having faced 13 batters in those situations, the 27-year-old has allowed zero runs, and only one base hit, which is good for a .083 average.

With runners in scoring position, opposing hitters are 0-for-5 against Floro.

On July 25, the Dodgers optioned Floro to AAA. His time there was short-lived, as he was called back up on July 30. Since his call-up, he has been even more impressive.

In seven appearances, he has eight strikeout and yet to allow a base-hit. He has faced 21 batters, and only one has managed to reach base, at the result of a hit-by-pitch.

With Floro proving to be one of the better relievers in baseball, he may soon find himself in the closing role. After the news of Kenley Jansen missing potentially a month with an irregular heartbeat, the Dodgers are needing a reliable reliever they can give the ball to in the ninth.

Dave Roberts has discussed the potential options, but it seems nobody is more deserving, and more trustworthy than Floro. Yes, Scott Alexander will be given save opportunities as well, but Floro has been great.

It’s become a theme that every season the front office makes a quiet move that turns out to be more impactful than they could have imagined. This year, it looks as if that quiet move landed them one of the better relievers in baseball.

Hyun-jin Ryu, Alex Wood to be activated next weekBy Ryan Walton

The Dodgers will get two more starting pitchers back in the mix next week when Hyun-jin Ryu and Alex Wood are expected to be activated from the disabled list.

Wood will be activated on Tuesday to start against the Giants according to manager Dave Roberts. The plan for Ryu hasn’t been officially announced publicly, except to say the lefty won’t need another rehab start before joining the Dodgers next week.

Adding two more starters means roster moves are on the horizon. It would be safe to say one of those moves will be to return reliever Pat Venditte to Triple-A. The other could depend on when they actually plan on activating Ryu. So much can happen over a week.

Just like Ross Stripling’s toe, Wood’s left adductor tendonitis was just a short 10-day rest period. Tuesday is the first day Wood can be activated and he made out fine in a three-inning simulated game on Wednesday.

Wood has been excellent since mid-June, going 6-1 with a 2.48 ERA in nine starts.

As for Ryu, it will be the first time since May 2 that the 31-year-old has pitched in the big leagues. Ryu left that start with a torn groin after getting the first four outs. The left-hander allowed just seven runs in 29 2⁄3 innings over six starts to begin the season, going 3-0 with a 2.12 ERA.

The fact that both will be returning would seem to signal that the team will move Kenta Maeda to the bullpen. It is inevitable at some point that the right-hander will resume the role he had some success in at the end of last season, including the postseason.

Maeda will help bolster a group that is without their leader in Kenley Jansen at the moment. The move could come during the team’s trip to Seattle next weekend since Maeda is still a candidate to start Wednesday’s game.

Jansen UpdateSpeaking prior to Saturday night’s game in Colorado, Dodgers’ president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Jansen will have a follow up for his heart condition on August 20.

The Dodgers will be without their closer until the season moves into September. It’s how long into September that is unknown at this point.

Dodgers lose on walk-off home runBy Blake Harris

For 8 2⁄3 innings, the Rockies were held scoreless.

The beauty of baseball is that you play until the final out. For the Dodgers, that beauty quickly turned into something that will stick with them for a while.

For the second consecutive night, Ryan McMahon hit a home run that would give the Rockies the win. This time, coming with two outs in the ninth inning.

With runners on first and third and two outs, McMahon stepped up to the plate. On a 1-0 pitch, he connected on a 95-mph fastball, barely clearing the wall in right-field, giving the Rockies a 3-2 win.

With Arizona’s loss to the Reds, LA had a chance to take sole possession of first.

For the third consecutive night, the Dodgers got on the board first. Manny Machado hit his 26th double of the season, and then came in to score on a Justin Turner triple. For Turner, it was his eighth career triple, and first in nearly two years.

The lead was doubled in the second inning as Yasiel Puig connected on an 87-mph slider, sending it deep into the left-field stands.

For Puig, this was his 100th career home run. Puig becomes the 18th Dodger to reach the 100 home run club.

For the Dodgers, the two runs were all they were able to scrap against Kyle Freeland. The left-hander held LA in check. In seven innings, he struck out 10 and allowed only six hits.

Walker Buehler, who earlier in the season threw six no-hit innings, gave us arguably the best start of his young career.

For the 24-year-old, it was his fourth start of the year going at least seven innings. He became the first visiting pitcher to throw at least six scoreless innings at Coors Field this season.

Throughout the night, the rookie found himself in tight spots, which at Coors Field, could be detrimental. Luckily for Buehler, he was able to work around it and escape unharmed.

The Rockies threatened in the first, putting two on with one out. The right-hander responded by inducing back-to-back outs.

Alongside his great pitching, Buehler was backed up by some amazing defense as well.

The Rockies threatened again in the fourth inning, putting two on with one out. This time, they would hit into a double-play to end the inning, but not a usual way. Ian Desmond flied out to Puig, who then gunned the ball back to first, doubling up Gerardo Parra.

As the sixth inning rolled around, it appeared as if the Rockies were finally ready to break through. They had two runners on, and Trevor Story coming up to the plate. Coming into the evening, Story was fifth in the N.L. with 80 runs batted in. His total would stay at 80, as he grounded into a double play, allowing Buehler to escape yet another jam.

Parra would leadoff the seventh inning for Colorado, but a force out and two strikeouts from Buehler would cap off his stellar night.

For the evening, Buehler struck out six and allowed four hits. He become the third Dodgers pitcher to throw at least seven scoreless innings while striking out six batters in Coors Field history, joining Clayton Kershaw and Hideo Nomo.

Caleb Ferguson pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning. As a reliever, Ferguson owns a 1.14 ERA.

With the closer situation still up in the air, the Dodgers experimented with Scott Alexander first. He struck out his first batter, but then allowed a double to Trevor Story.

JT Chargois entered the game. He promptly hit Nolan Arenado with a pitch, putting two on with one out. Desmond then grounded out on yet another spectacular play from Dozier.

With runners on the corners and two outs, McMahon stepped up to the plate.

The entire game, the Dodgers were able to escape jams. It appeared the clock struck midnight, and their luck came to a screeching halt. McMahon hit his fourth homer of the year.

Up NextThe Dodgers look to even the series, as they’ll send Rich Hill (5-4, 3.62 ERA) to the mound to face off versus Chad Bettis (5-2, 5.67 ERA)

Saturday’s particularsHome Runs: Yasiel Puig (15), Ryan McMahon (4)

WP: Bryan Shaw (4-5) 1 IP, 1 BB

LP: JT Chargois (2-4) 0.1 IP, 2 ER

Yadier Alvarez strikes out six in relief roleBy Craig Minami

Tulsa, Rancho Cucamonga and Great Lakes won. Oklahoma City lost their fifth straight and using the word “lost” is maybe charitable. Three Rookie League teams played and only DSL Dodgers Robinson got a win.

Player of the dayYadier Alvarez has not had a good year on the mound and after returning from the disabled list in July, he began to pitch exclusively out of the bullpen. And he has had some fair outings and some awful ones. On Saturday night, he recorded his first save of this season when he pitched four scoreless innings to finish the game. He gave up two hits and a walk. Alvarez also struck out six.

Triple-A Oklahoma CityThe Dodgers lost their fifth straight game 14-0 to the Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals). Logan Bawcom took the loss, he pitched six innings and gave up five runs.

The Redbirds scored four runs in the eighth and five more in the fifth to give them the largest shutout win against the Oklahoma franchise.

Not much went right for the Dodgers, Tim Locastro had three hits and Stetson Allie pitched a scoreless inning.

Double-A TulsaThe Drillers got home runs from Jacob Scavuzzo and Gavin Lux in their 3-0 win over the San Antonio Missions (Padres). Tony Gonsolin, Andrew Istler and Yadier Alvarez combined to pitch the shutout.

Alvarez pitched four innings to get the save and also struck out six. Gonsolin started and also pitched four innings. He struck out four.

Keibert Ruiz had three hits, Lux had a double to go along with his solo home run.

Class-A Rancho CucamongaThe Quakes defeated the Lancaster JetHawks (Rockies) 3-1 on Saturday night. Max Gamboa struck out 11 in his six innings of work. Ryan Moseley and Sven Schueller pitched the final three innings with Schueller getting the save.

Cristian Santana hit a two-run homer to give the Quakes the lead. Omar Estevez had two hits and scored a run.

Class-A Great LakesThe Loons scored seven runs in the fourth inning on their way to a 9-3 win over the Dayton Dragons (Reds). Romar Cuadrado hit a grand slam homer to punctuate that fourth inning.

Luke Heyer and Chris Roller each had three hits. John Rooney started for the Loons and pitched three scoreless innings with four strikeouts.

Pioneer-Rookie OgdenThe Raptors lost 6-5 to the Billings Mustangs (Reds) and this was their first walk-off loss of the season.

With one out and runners on first and second, Juan Martinez singled home Drew Mount to score the winning run.

Jose Chacin pitched seven innings and gave up nine hits and five runs (three earned). Dillon Paulson doubled and tripled and drove in one run.

Arizona-Rookie AZL DodgersThe AZL Dodgers were off on Saturday.

TransactionsDouble-A: Right-handed pitcher Andre Scrubb assigned to Tulsa from Rancho Cucamonga.

Class-A: Rancho Cucamonga activated outfielder Donovan Casey from the 7-day disabled list. Right-handed pitcher Justin Hagenman assigned to Great Lakes from Ogden.

Rookie: Right-handed pitcher Jesus Vargas assigned to Ogden from Great Lakes.

Saturday’s scoresMemphis 14, Oklahoma City 0

Tulsa 3, San Antonio 0

Rancho Cucamonga 3, Lancaster 1

Great Lakes 9, Dayton 3

Billings 6, Ogden 5

DSL Dodgers Robinson 7, DSL Marlins 3

DSL Rangers One 4, DSL Dodgers Guerrero 1

Sunday’s schedule11:05 a.m. PT: Great Lakes (TBD) vs. Dayton (Packy Naughton)

12:05 p.m.: Ogden (Brett De Geus) at Billings (Ricky Salinas)

2:05 p.m. PT: Rancho Cucamonga (Leo Crawford) vs. Lancaster (Brandon Gold)

5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Brock Stewart) vs. Memphis (Jake Woodford)

5:05 p.m.: Tulsa (Justin DeFratus) at San Antonio (Lake Bachar)

7:00 p.m.: AZL Dodgers vs. AZL Cubs One

DODGER INSIDERBuehler and the defense sprakle and Puig blasts 100, but Dodgers done in by walkoffBy Cary Osborne

The Dodger defense, Walker Buehler’s pitching and Yasiel Puig all put the Dodgers in position to win in Colorado on Saturday night. But for the second night in a row, the Dodgers lost a lead late and a game.

For the second night in a row, it was Rockie Ryan McMahon with the deciding home run against a Dodger bullpen minus Kenley Jansen — this time a three-run walkoff homer against JT Chargois with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.

The Dodgers lost 3–2 to the Rockies and remained tied with Arizona for first place in the National League West.

“It’s obviously, you don’t have that guy that’s proven to get outs in the ninth inning. That’s where we’re at right now,” said manager Dave Roberts to SportsNetLA’s Alanna Rizzo. “We’ve talked about closer by committee and giving guys opportunities and the matchups we feel is going to get us the last three outs.”

The Dodgers got another outstanding outing from Walker Buehler, who was helped by the Dodger defense with three inning-ending double plays, including a spectacular dive-and-glove-flip from Brian Dozier to Manny Machado in the third inning.

Buehler went seven shutout innings, allowed four hits and walked three, striking out six.

He survived a collision with first baseman Max Muncy in the sixth, then ended the seventh by striking out Chris Iannetta with a 98-mph fastball on his 103rd pitch. Buehler said after the game he was fine from the collision.

This is the fourth time Buehler has pitched at least seven innings this year, tied for most on the team with Clayton Kershaw and Kenta Maeda.

Buehler recorded a game score of 74 — his fifth 70-plus game score this season, a team high.

The runs came early for the Dodgers — a first-inning RBI triple by Justin Turner and a second-inning homer off stingy Colorado starter Kyle Freeland.

The homer was Puig’s 15th of the season and 100th of his career. He became the 18th LA Dodger to hit the century mark. The Dodgers now have a Major League-high seven players with at least 15 homers — Max Muncy (26), Yasmani Grandal (20), Cody Bellinger (19), Joc Pederson (18), Kiké Hernández (17), Matt Kemp (17) and Puig (15).

The Dodgers took the lead late into the game and Buehler handed the ball over to rookie Caleb Ferguson who retired all three batters he faced.

On the day Jansen received positive news about an irregular heartbeat, but uncertainty still remained about a return, the Dodgers went to groundball specialist Scott Alexander in the ninth.

He struck out Carlos Gonzalez, but allowed a double to Trevor Story, prompting the move to the right-handed Chargois in a more favorable matchup against the right-handed pinch-hitting Nolan Arenado. But he hit Arenado with a pitch.

Chargois then got a hard ground ball from Ian Desmond that Dozier had to dive for and glove flip again to Machado for a foreceout.

But with two out McMahon homered.

The Dodgers turn to Rich Hill in the series finale on Sunday.

Health first for Jansen, as the bullpen could benefit from a surplus of startersBy Cary Osborne

Kenley Jansen and the Dodgers were proactive in getting medical attention for the closer’s irregular heartbeat.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said in Colorado on Saturday that in speaking to the cardiologist, things bode well for Jansen as he recovers and that as of today surgery is not on the table.

Jansen, who went on the 10-day disabled list on Friday, missed time in 2011 and 2012 with an atrial fibrillation and had offseason surgery in 2012 for the condition. He will have a follow-up appointment on Aug. 20, but his return is uncertain.

“Everyone feels really good about where he’s at right now, which is obviously the most important thing,” Friedman said. “And then you layer back on baseball, we’re not sure when exactly that will be. He’s going for a follow-up appointment on Aug. 20, so it could be anywhere from then to sometime in September — we’re not sure. And again, the quality of life aspect, his health is the most important thing.”

Friedman said the heart condition won’t prevent Jansen from participation in baseball activities. In 2011 and 2012, he was able to keep his arm and body in shape while he was on the disabled list.

As for the effect it has on the bullpen, there’s the related aspect of the surplus of starting pitchers the Dodgers will have soon.

Dave Roberts said that Alex Wood (left adductor tendinitis) will come off the 10-day disabled list on Tuesday and start that day against San Francisco at Dodger Stadium.

Roberts doesn’t have a starter named for Wednesday, but Hyun-Jin Ryu — out since May 3 with a left groin strain — is a possibility.

Ryu has been outstanding in rehab starts for High-A Rancho Cucamonga (Aug. 2) and Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday. In nine combined innings, he allowed seven hits, walked none and gave up an earned run while striking out seven. Roberts said his rehab stint is over.

When Ryu and Wood come off the disabled list, it will give the Dodgers seven healthy starters in Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill, Walker Buehler, Ross Stripling, Kenta Maeda, Ryu and Wood.

“As we figure out our rotation and potentially what falls out of that, it will be something that will strengthen our bullpen,” Friedman said. “We’re still figuring out what that is. We’ll be creative. We have some off-days coming up we’ll utilize and figure it out. We feel good about the number of quality pitchers we have now. We just have to figure out roles and figure out best how to line them up.”

The Dodgers have no games on Aug. 16, 23 and 27.

As for arms currently in the bullpen, since the All-Star Break, three relievers have sub-2.00 ERAs: JT Chargois (0.00 ERA in 8 1/3 innings), Caleb Ferguson (0.93 in 9 2/3 innings) and Dylan Floro (1.93 ERA in 9 1/3 innings).

“We’ll hold down the fort for (Jansen), and be ready to welcome him with open arms when he’s ready,” Friedman said.

THE ATHLETICDodgers looking for answers to make up for the loss of Kenley JansenBy Pedro Moura

DENVER — When they had Kenley Jansen as their closer, the 2018 Dodgers’ bullpen still lacked a dependable bridge to him. Without him, they may lack both a bridge and a destination. And that could remain the case for weeks.

The club revealed Saturday that Jansen will be out at least until Aug. 20, when his irregular heartbeat will be re-evaluated by a cardiologist. The Dodgers’ disadvantage in his absence was on display later that day at Coors Field.

Working with a two-run lead in the ninth inning, Dave Roberts chose left-hander Scott Alexander to start the save situation. Roberts described Alexander as his best reliever one day earlier. But, after one out and one double, Roberts pulled him in favor of right-hander J.T. Chargois.

The Rockies had pinch-hit their injured All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado, and Roberts had thought back to June 29, when Arenado launched a home run off Alexander in a one-run game at Dodger Stadium.

“He really does damage against lefties,” Roberts said. “And there’s some history there.”

Ian Desmond was on deck behind Arenado. To Roberts, the two right-handed hitters represented a “great runway” for Chargois to land the Dodgers a victory. This season, the February waiver claim had held righties to an OPS under .600, while lefties had bashed him to an OPS near 1.000.

Looming behind Desmond was a young left-handed power hitter named Ryan McMahon, who clubbed the winning homer in Friday’s game. And, after Chargois drilled Arenado and Brian Dozier scooped up a Desmond grounder for the inning’s second out, McMahon stepped up to bat.

The Dodgers had no one warming in their bullpen, and there were no obvious options. Left-hander Zac Rosscup had given up McMahon’s Friday homer. Switch-pitcher Pat Venditte has not established himself in the major leagues. Right-hander John Axford, just acquired for his unusual career-long ability to retire left-handed hitters, imploded in his Dodger debut.

So, Chargois stayed on the mound. His first pitch to McMahon was a slider, massively misfired, as were most of his sliders. His second pitch was a fastball, down, but farther inside than intended. McMahon timed it right and launched a towering home run to right. The Dodgers lost, 3-2, wasting Walker Buehler’s seven scoreless innings, the longest shutout start by a visiting starter at altitude this season.

In spite of the result, Roberts believed his decision-making process was sound. When he removed Alexander, he knew he would have no other dependable lefty available. He judged that risk to be worth the advantage afforded by a right-on-right matchup with Arenado.

“I just felt that, to put both those guys in the position to have success, that was the right decision,” the manager said.

Another option could have been to stick with rookie left-hander Caleb Ferguson for the ninth, after he fired a spotless eighth. But Roberts said the Dodgers had predetermined Ferguson could pitch only one inning Saturday because he had thrown 28 pitches Thursday.

The specifics, really, are immaterial. Given a similar situation sometime soon, maybe Roberts would choose to leave in Alexander or warm up Axford behind Chargois. But, Saturday night, either would have been a precarious position, too. The game goes down as proof that the Dodgers will have trouble relieving games as long as Jansen is out.

“Obviously, you don’t have that guy that has proven to get outs in the ninth inning,” Roberts said. “That’s where we’re at right now.”

That position puts the Dodgers’ playoff hopes at risk. They remain tied with the Diamondbacks for the NL West lead, with the Rockies now right behind. Talent evaluators agree that the Dodgers’ roster is the most talented of the three, but only 44 games remain in the 2018 season. Talent does not always win out over samples as small as that, and a few more bullpen-blown losses like Saturday’s are liable to ruin this team’s season.

There is reason to believe things could change, even if Jansen misses a month. Within a week or two, once Alex Wood and Hyun-Jin Ryu return to the rotation, the Dodgers could conceivably welcome Kenta Maeda, Julio Urías, and Ross Stripling or Wood into their bullpen. They could group with Alexander, Ferguson and Dylan Floro to form a reliable faction.

“We feel good about the number of quality pitchers we have,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Saturday. “Now, we just have to kind of figure out roles and figure out how to best line them up to help us win games.”