Originally published by DodgerBlue.com
The Los Angeles Dodgers finished the regular season on a good note and are now in the process of constructing their 26-man roster for the National League Division Series.
Much of the discussion has centered around Josue De Paula and Dalton Rushing potentially battling it out for the final spot as the left-handed bat off the bench.
De Paula has plenty to offer the team in the long term, but if he is included on the Dodgers roster for the NLDS, his immediate role will be limited.
“I would say if he were to make it, it would just be as a bat,” manager Dave Roberts said on SportsNet LA.
De Paula impressed during his brief stint with the Dodgers in September, which came after Shohei Ohtani was placed on the 15-day injured list. The top prospect received most of his opportunities at designated hitter and flashed his elite offensive potential, catching the eye of Roberts.
De Paula previously said he wants to improve defensively and is also capable of making an impact on the base paths with his speed. As far as the latter goes, Roberts does not envision using him as a pinch-runner in the postseason.
“For me, that’s just really not his calling card,” Roberts explained. “So as far as on the bases, I just haven’t seen enough to supplant somebody else. But I’ve seen enough with the bat.”
It’s easy to see why the Dodgers are intrigued by the idea of De Paula making their NLDS roster as a left-handed bat off the bench. He is capable of changing a game with one swing, and by giving him a clearly defined role, he can focus solely on hitting.
However, the team is also giving consideration to Dalton Rushing, who returned for their final regular season series against the San Francisco Giants and went 0-for-3 with a strikeout.
Roberts also indicated that the Dodgers could look into putting Hyeseong Kim on their NLDS roster, though his potential inclusion would likely only be for pinch-running purposes.
Josue De Paula’s stats with Dodgers
De Paula went 10-for-31 (.323) with three doubles, one triple, one home run and seven RBI in 11 games with the Dodgers. Perhaps most impressive was his patience at the plate, issuing 11 walks against just five strikeouts while drawing comparisons to New York Mets slugger Juan Soto.
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