Dodgers Analysis: Changes to the NLDS Roster? Who’s in Who’s Out

PHILADELPHIA, PA—The start of the 2025 National League Division Series is set to get underway tomorrow at 3:38 PM PT between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

However, while the team undergoes its first team workout before the start of the NLDS today, what possible changes could we see on the active 26-man roster from the Wild Card Series to tomorrow?

Kershaw and Banda Likely Will Be Added

Notably absent from the Wild Card Series roster were left-handed pitchers Clayton Kershaw and Anthony Banda.

The decision to leave Kershaw off the roster did make sense as the veteran left-hander made the final start of the 2025 regular season on Sunday in Seattle, where he tossed over ninety pitches and was likely unavailable for either Tuesday or Wednesday’s games.

Considering the shortened round and the Dodgers’ surplus of starters, it wasn’t surprising that Tyler Glasnow and Emmet Sheehan were moved to bullpen roles. Glasnow is expected to start during the NLDS, while Sheehan will stay as a reliever against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Omitting Banda was somewhat surprising considering his successful season. However, the Dodgers also stopped using him in leverage situations late in the season.

Still, Banda did post a 1.52 ERA in the second half of the regular season in twenty-eight appearances, which figured to at least secure a low-leverage role in the ‘pen.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts described the choice to exclude Banda from the Wild Card roster as “very, very difficult,” and mentioned at the beginning of the series that the left-hander would be added if the team moved on to the NLDS.

The inclusion of Banda could also make sense to give the Dodgers another left-handed relief option from the bullpen, and it’s a strategy the team used him in four of the six games that Los Angeles played the Phillies earlier this season.

Meanwhile, Kershaw’s addition to the NLDS roster might place him in a similar situation. The Dodgers could potentially start Kershaw, but it doesn’t seem essential since their rotation is solid after sweeping the Reds.

Dave Roberts did state during the Wild Card Series that Kershaw would be an option for the NLDS and future postseason rosters should the team continue to advance, so it’s expected that will be the case.

Who’s Out?

If Banda and Kershaw are added, the Dodgers will need to replace two players on their current roster.

The first odd man out could be rookie Hyeseong Kim, whom the team has not trusted to face left-handed pitchers, and the Phillies are preparing to send three dominant left-handed starters to the mound, which would limit his role significantly.

Despite Kim posting a .381 batting average against Southpaws this season, the Dodgers have only allowed Kim to collect twenty-one total at-bats against them this season.

However, another factor working against Kim was his decline in performance in the second half, during which the left-handed speedster posted a .364 OPS and a -4 wRC+, and saw his strikeout rate nearly double to 43.1%.

Another player the Dodgers could leave off the roster is outfielder Justin Dean, who was merely a late-inning defensive replacement and pinch-running option from the Dodgers ’ bench.

The team could opt to keep Dean if they want to value his defense for a team like the Phillies, but that remains to be seen.

I believe the team will likely go for a 13/13 split for the longer best-of-five format, so possibly a roster like this could be announced tomorrow:

Position Players

Catchers (3): Will Smith, Dalton Rushing, Ben Rortvedt

Infielders (3): Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Max Muncy

Outfielders (3): Teoscar Hernández, Andy Pages, Alex Call

Utility (3): Miguel Rojas, Tommy Edman, Kiké Hernández

Designated Hitter (1): Shohei Ohtani

Pitching

Starters (4): Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow

Relievers (10): Clayton Kershaw, Anthony Banda, Emmet Sheehan, Justin Wrobleski, Tanner Scott, Blake Treinen, Roki Sasaki, Alex Vesia, Jack Dreyer, Edgardo Henriquez

Have you subscribed to the Bleed Los Podcast YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows & promotions, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!