Steve Webb
NEW YORK, NY — Dodgers’ utility player Tommy Edman, who has taken over the shortstop position after Miguel Rojas‘s injury, shared his thoughts ahead of Game 4 of the NLCS against the Mets. The postseason has seen Edman shine at the plate, leading the team in hits while also contributing with timely bunting and base running. His journey from the injured list to the heart of the Dodgers’ lineup has been a story of resilience and adaptability.
Reflecting on his recent hitting approach, Edman said, “I think it’s kind of more just midseason if you just track when I started playing games again. We’re about in, I think, the end of May or beginning of June basically. What was nice was having that bye, honestly, because I finished the season really cold and then I had like five or six days to really do some good work on the swing. Definitely have felt better once the postseason has started.”
Edman also talked about Shohei Ohtani’s impact on the team, particularly after Ohtani hit a massive home run in the previous game. “It just comes off his bat different. It’s like a golf ball, you know. I keep saying I’ve never seen a ball hit that far, but at some point, you’ve seen a bunch of Shohei’s homers, so everyone is special,” Edman remarked. He added, “He’s been clutch when we’ve needed him the most.”
Discussing the Dodgers’ offensive strategy, Edman emphasized the importance of mixing small ball with power hitting to succeed in the postseason. “It’s been a little bit of both,” he said. “We’ve had some games where we’ve really slugged and then others where we haven’t as much but still found ways to score. I think you’ve got to do both to win postseason series because there’s going to be games where you’re not necessarily hitting that well or you run into a really good pitcher.”
As a switch hitter, Edman has had to make constant adjustments to maintain consistency. He explained, “I’m working on similar things from both sides, but my righty swing felt pretty good end of the year, Lefty swing didn’t feel very good, and now my Lefty swing is really feeling good again.” He added that switch-hitting presents unique challenges, noting, “It’s hard enough to manage one swing as is.”
Edman’s switch-hitting journey started early. “I kind of had messed around with it going back to Little League. I would just hop in there left-handed from time to time,” he shared. “I actually went away from it sophomore, junior year, and then after I committed during the summer of my junior year, my college coaches had said, ‘Hey, why don’t you try switch-hitting again?’”
He also highlighted the Dodgers’ preparation and poise under pressure. “The attention to detail is just really good,” Edman said. “Everybody’s prepared for certain situations that come up. I think the other thing that separates this team is just the experience and the cool, calm demeanor.”
As the Dodgers look to advance, Edman’s adaptability and steady approach have been key to the team’s postseason success.
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