Andre Ethier placed on Dodgers' playoff roster
SAN FRANCISCO --Andre Ethier's playoff experience won out over his limited availability this season, as the veteran was named to the Los Angeles Dodgers' roster for the National League Division Series against the Washington Nationals.
Ethier played in just 15 games and had 23 at-bats heading into the final day of the regular season after suffering a leg fracture on a foul ball during spring training. He was not in the starting lineup for Sunday's finale at San Francisco.
Dave Roberts may be in his first year as Dodgers manager, but he knows enough about Ethier to consider him valuable to the club at the most important time of the year.
"I told him from the very beginning that I don't care how many hits he gets, I just want him to have the at-bat quality that I have seen over the course of his 10-year major league career," Roberts said. "And I've seen it. The leg feels good, and the value he can give us off the bench late in a game against a quality relief pitcher, I like it."
Roberts has yet to name his NLDS roster, but a number of names have started to trickle in. In addition to saying Ethier will be in Washington, D.C., this week, Roberts also confirmed that Josh Reddick would be on the playoff roster.
That gives the Dodgers six outfielders. Roberts already said Andrew Toles would make it. They joinHowie Kendrick, Joc Pederson and Yasiel Puig, who was named to the playoff roster by Roberts earlier this week.
Other areas of the playoff roster still need to be decided. Utility players such asCharlie Culberson and Enrique Hernandez remain under consideration. Roberts even suggested that he is not sure how many pitchers he will have available to face the Nationals in a series that starts Friday on the East Coast. But the bulk of the roster sounds set.
"We have a good idea of who will be on the roster," Roberts said. "We have an idea where they are at, and I think it is just internal discussions."
The Dodgers are carrying a full load of 40 players under expanded September rosters, meaning 15 players will get notice that they will not be playing in the NLDS. Some of those players could remain with the club, while others might go to Arizona to stay sharp in case they are needed for the National League Championship Series.
Roberts said the team is scheduled to work out Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, fly to Washington on Wednesday morning and work out at Nationals Park on Wednesday night, in addition to Thursday's regularly scheduled workout day.
"The bigger challenge is to keep the hitters sharp," Roberts said. "Over the course of three, four, five, let alone six days, the hitter has a little bit of a tougher challenge because of the timing aspect of live pitching."
