Steve Webb
It’s finally here, Opening Day 2021. And not a moment too soon, the Dodgers’ Opening Day roster is ready to go. In the end, there were only a couple of surprises here, but it will be a good solid Dodger team that takes the field to mount its defense of the World Series title. Away we go:
Catchers: Austin Barnes, Will Smith
No shock here. The catching crew for the Dodgers remains unchanged from last year. Keibert Ruiz looked good when he finally showed up for camp, but he’ll start the year at the alternate site.
Starters: Kershaw, Bauer, Buehler, Urias, May
The only drama here was who was going to start on days 4 and 5. Julio Urias was locked into the four-hole pretty early on this spring. Dustin May won the last spot over teammates David Price and Tony Gonsolin in the last week of Spring Training. Clayton Kershaw was named Opening Day starter, which means he’ll get the ball on Thursday against German Marquez of the Rockies. Game time will be 1:10 pm PDT. Hopefully, Walker Buehler will stay healthy and Trevor Bauer will pitch with both eyes open now.
Bullpen: Gonsolin, Price, Nelson, Gonzalez, Alexander, Treinen, Knebel, Jansen
Scott Alexander was kind of on the bubble here, but in the end, he edged out Dennis Santana for the final spot in the pen. These names are likely to change once Brusdar Graterol and Joe Kelly fully recover from their injuries, but for now it’s a solid group. Key things to watch: how does former starter David Price handle life as a reliever? How much work will Tony Gonsolin be able to get and still be ready to start? What will become of Spring Surprise Jimmy Nelson once the bullpen is back to full health?
Infield: Muncy, Beaty, Lux, Seager, Rios, Turner
No new faces here, but Gavin Lux is the one to watch. Skipper Dave Roberts feels like he’s ready to take on a more substantial role with the ball club. Biggest happy news over the winter was the return of free agent Justin Turner, which kept us all on pins and needles for months. Rios and Beaty both had a lackluster Spring Training, but hopefully they can return to previous form. Corey Seager has been raking all spring, so let’s hope that continues deep into the fall.
Utility: Chris Taylor, Zach McKinstry
Taylor has had an awesome spring, and figures to see a lot of time in both the infield an the outfield this year. McKinstry is a late-round draft pick who just keeps getting better and is a good bet to become Kiké 2.0 this season. These two players could show up at literally any spot on the field this year. Very useful, especially now that we are back to 162 games and pitchers hitting in the National League.
Outfield: Betts, Bellinger Pollock
If these Dodgers stay healthy, and Bellinger can have a bounce-back year, this could be the best Dodger outfield of all time. There. I said it.
There you have it Dodger fans, your 2021 Opening Day lineup. Only one thing left to say. Take it away, Vin…
