Dodgers Chase the NL’s Top Seed While Racing to Get Healthy

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers entered their final regular-season homestand having won 11 of their last 14 games, but the club’s priorities extend beyond momentum. Los Angeles is balancing the pursuit of home-field advantage with the urgent necessity of restoring health to a depleted roster before October.

After Friday’s 8-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants, the Dodgers improved to 94-60 with eight games remaining. They have already secured their fifth consecutive National League West title and a record-tying 14th straight postseason berth.

The result also kept Los Angeles in contention with the Milwaukee Brewers for the National League’s top overall seed and guaranteed home-field advantage throughout the pennant race. Following Friday’s results, including Milwaukee’s victory over the Baltimore Orioles, the Dodgers trail the Brewers by two games.

Los Angeles holds a four-game cushion over the third-place Atlanta Braves for the NL’s No. 2 seed. Under Major League Baseball’s expanded postseason format, established in 2022, the top two division winners in each league receive a direct bye to the Division Series. They skip the unpredictable best-of-three Wild Card round and earn five full days of rest before opening the postseason at home.

“To get one of these top-two seeds is important. And our guys understand that,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Winning the division is great, but I still think our best baseball is ahead of us.”

That rest window carries extra significance for Los Angeles because, if the postseason began immediately, the Dodgers would be without at least seven roster regulars who are currently sidelined or recovering from injuries.

Edwin Díaz returned to the mound Friday after being activated off the injured list. His first season with Los Angeles has been limited to just 16 relief appearances because of recurring injuries, but he worked a scoreless ninth inning on 17 pitches, allowing one hit and striking out two batters to finish the victory.

Tyler Glasnow (5-1) supplied six strong innings and earned his second victory since April 23. He allowed three hits and struck out a season-high 10 batters as the rotation undergoes late-season adjustments.

The Dodgers’ offense broke open a tight game with contributions from an unexpected young player and several veterans. Rookie outfielder Josue De Paula, promoted to the major league roster just a week ago to fill the spot vacated by four-time Most Valuable Player Shohei Ohtani, made his Dodger Stadium debut.

De Paula singled and scored on a Teoscar Hernández single in the fifth inning. In the sixth, he hit a go-ahead double off the right-center field wall to drive in Kyle Tucker, putting Los Angeles ahead to stay.

Mookie Betts had already hit a solo home run in the first inning, and he later joined Kyle Tucker, Max Muncy, and Will Smith among the Dodgers who homered during a five-run eighth-inning explosion. The performance gave Betts a multi-homer night during a stretch in which he has recorded six hits in his last eight at-bats, lifting his batting average to a season-high .254.

The late-inning surge came as Los Angeles managed sharply different individual trends. Tucker is batting .424 with five home runs and 13 runs scored over his last 10 games, while Hernández is hitting .368 with 17 RBIs in September.

Freddie Freeman, meanwhile, went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts Friday. The veteran first baseman’s recent stretch now stands at 6 hits and 13 strikeouts over his last 48 at-bats.

De Paula’s immediate impact has raised the question of whether he could make the postseason roster. “It’s crossed my mind,” De Paula said of a potential October spot. “But I try to focus on the now while I’m here and I’m enjoying every moment.”

Roberts said the rookie is being seriously evaluated for October. “Yeah, he’s in the mix. He’s certainly doing a lot of things well,” Roberts said.

The front office and medical staff continue to focus on the activation timetable for several marquee players before the regular season concludes. Ohtani is dealing with injuries to his left knee and right biceps, has resumed taking batting practice, and becomes eligible to return from the injured list on Wednesday.

Roberts hopes Ohtani can secure 10 to 12 plate appearances before the regular season ends to regain game rhythm. “I’m just really waiting to hear when he’s going to get on the field, let alone take live BP,” Roberts said. “He’s not there yet. But everything I’ve heard, it’s been a really productive last three to four to five days.”

Blake Snell was forced out of Wednesday’s start after one inning because of groin tightness, although the club remains optimistic that the veteran left-hander will manage one more regular-season start.

Andy Pages, who fractured his left hand and missed a month of action, is scheduled to be activated Tuesday for the start of a series against the San Diego Padres. Pages remains tied with Ohtani for the team lead in RBIs.

Roki Sasaki threw 48 pitches in a bullpen session Wednesday and could be reactivated next week. Dalton Rushing has resumed swinging a bat and is scheduled to face a pitching machine over the weekend.

Edgardo Henriquez, the high-velocity reliever who ranks second among Dodgers bullpen arms in innings and strikeouts, will miss the remainder of the regular season because of a back strain but could be cleared for postseason play.

With 94 wins, Los Angeles maintains a mathematical chance to reach the 100-win threshold for the fourth time in six seasons. The Dodgers previously reached the century mark in 2019 (106-56), 2021 (106-56), 2022 (111-51), and 2023 (100-62).

The franchise’s 14th consecutive playoff qualification ties the all-time Major League Baseball record for consecutive postseason appearances. The Dodgers match the 14-year streak set by the Atlanta Braves from 1991 to 2005, excluding the 1994 strike season.

“They can go hand in hand,” Roberts said regarding maintaining winning momentum while managing player health. “We have a lot of good players that are more than capable of helping us win baseball games, at the same time making sure we try to get our best players to optimum health when the postseason starts.”