Summer Camp is just around the corner as the Dodgers are set to report July 1 to begin a couple weeks of intrasquad games followed by exhibition matchups. We got a sneak preview of the Dodgers during Spring Training, but unfortunately that was months ago. A 60 game season does not give the Dodgers much wiggle room to experiment, so here are 5 question marks heading into Summer Camp.
1. Will any Dodgers sit out during the 2020 season?
We have to remind ourselves that every player has a personal life, so we must respect their decision to put family first. With that being said, A.J. Pollock has been the subject of rumors of opting out in order to care for his young infant at home. Joe Kelly and his wife recently gave birth to twins, but it appears he has the support to compete in 2020. Clayton Kershaw and his wife just had another child as well, but so far there’s no reason to believe Kershaw would sit out. Scott Alexander and Kenley Jansen find themselves in the at risk category, but Kenley Jansen has always proven he will compete no matter what. Just refer back to when he said he would pitch in Coors when he was undergoing heartbeat care. No Dodgers have ruled themselves out yet, but the question will remain in the back of our minds for now.
2. Will Alex Wood hang on to the 5th spot in the Dodgers rotation?
When Alex Wood signed with the Dodgers, he made it clear that he chose them on the condition that he was a starter in the rotation. Wood had an injury plagued 2019, and during Spring Training 2020 he was mediocre. In a limited sample, Wood had a 6.35 ERA over 5.2 innings and batters hit .292 off him. The season is too short to give Wood a long leash when Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, and Ross Stripling are right there with the potential to offer something better. Wood is going to have to show the team he still has it, otherwise expect him to be the first bounced out of the rotation.
3. Who starts at second base for the Dodgers?
The first name that jumps out is probably Gavin Lux. The talent is there without a doubt, but the question remains is he ready?He played in a limited amount of MLB games during 2019, and he even hit a postseason home run, but overall he struggled in the NLDS. Kiké Hernandez and Chris Taylor offer more veteran experience, but Lux did hit. 276 over 29 at bats with 1 rbi. I expect to see a lot of different guys at second to start the season, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the position is used as a platoon.
4. Who will DH for the Dodgers?
Edwin RÃos and Matt Beaty are the exciting names who both offer some serious pop. More likely than not it will be neither of them consistently. A.J. Pollock will be the everyday DH and it’s his job to lose. He wasn’t signed to a 5-year deal to be a platoon player, and in the past Pollock has hit well against the NL West, which makes up 67% of the schedule. The Dodgers lineup is already deep enough that they’ve never needed a DH, but  at the very least it allows one extra guy to get a full set of at bats.
5. Which players make the roster who weren’t going to originally qualify for the 26-man team?
I think the first name that stands out is Dustin May. Entering Opening Day back in March, May was going to start the year in AAA for development and be in the AAA rotation to build up as a starter. That has now changed given the circumstance. Edwin RÃos was likely just going to miss the cut, but now he will be there. Adam Kolarek was awful during Spring Training, but now there’s nowhere for him to go either, so he will be in strong consideration to make the team. Cody Thomas and Zach McKinstry were having phenomenal Springs and now have a shot to make the Dodgers. Then there’s D.J. Peters who is a dark horse candidate. Given that it’s a 30-man roster to start the season, the depth factor is a huge advantage for the Dodgers.
This is a very exciting time to be a Dodgers fan and this season is essentially a free-for-all. There will be a lot of pressure on every MLB player to perform quickly.
Photo Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
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