Although the Dodgers have already clinched the 2015 National League West Division title, their third in three years, they are still involved in another race – the race for home field advantage in the NLDS in which they currently hold a precarious one-half game lead over the New York Mets, a race that has been put on hold due rain along the Eastern seaboard caused by Hurricane Joaquin.

But there’s another race going on for the Dodgers, at least for a handful of them – the race to make the team’s postseason roster, which is anything but set.

Still up for grabs are at least one (and possibly two) starting pitching spots, at least one (and possibly two) outfield spots and the starting second base, third base and shortstop spots. As a result – and it’s a good thing – those vying for these spots are playing exceptionally well whenever they are inserted into the Dodgers lineup.

Without question, left-handers Brett Anderson and Alex Wood are going to make Dodgers manager Don Mattingly’s job (along with those of President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi) very difficult when it comes to deciding who makes the NLDS starting rotation and who does not. Both lefties pitched exceptionally well in their respective season finales and both look worthy of filling the Dodgers number three spot in the postseason rotation behind co-aces Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke.

Left-handers Brett Anderson and Alex Wood were both outstanding in their final outings of the regular season.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

In all likelihood, Anderson will probably get the nod over Wood if for no other reason than Wood has bullpen experience and Anderson does not. This gives Mattingly an automatic long reliever out of the pen which hopefully they will not need but is a very good thing to have.

Where things really get complicated for Mattingly and the Dodgers brass is deciding which outfielders to include on their playoff roster. There is little doubt that Andre Ethier, Carl Crawford and Joc Pederson will make the playoff roster. But where things are less certain are with right-handed hitters Scott Van Slyke, Justin Ruggiano and even Yasiel Puig who, according to Mattingly, has made “a miraculous recovery” from his hamstring injury and who is reportedly en route to Los Angeles from the Dodgers instructional league at Camelback Ranch in Arizona after tearing it up at the plate in his rehab assignment.

Since being acquired by the Dodgers at the August 31 waiver trade deadline, 33-year-old utility outfielder Justin Ruggiano has been nothing short of outstanding, posting a triple-slash of .308 / .357 / .645 for a remarkable OPS of 1.011 in the 19 games in which he has appeared. He is 16 for 52 at the plate with four home runs, four doubles and one triple to go along with his 12 RBIs – this in only 56 plate appearances. And when news broke late Friday evening that utility outfielder / first baseman Scott Van Slyke had received a cortisone shot in his ailing right wrist, Ruggiano’s chances of making the Dodgers postseason roster went up exponentially. Van Slyke, who is having his worst season of his career at the plate with the Dodgers (.239 / .317 / .383 / .700), aggravated his wrist during the recent division-clinching series in San Francisco this past week, thereby putting his playoff roster spot in jeopardy.

If the Dodgers truly want to put their best eight out there, they would be foolish to exclude Justin Ruggiano from their playoff roster – especially against lefties. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Although veteran second baseman Chase Utley has been a huge addition to the club since being acquired prior to the August 31 waiver trade deadline, he is nowhere near the hitter that Howie Kendrick is. And with Kendrick reporting that he is now 100 percent recovered from his left hamstring injury, Mattingly will be hard-pressed to keep the 32-year-old Jacksonville, FL native out of the starting lineup in the postseason. Since his return on September 19, Kendrick has appeared in 11 games during which he is for 12 for 42 (.286) with two doubles and five RBIs. Since joining the Dodgers, Utley is 14 for 136 (.200) with three hone runs, nine doubles, one triple and nine RBIs.

The other burning question for Mattingly is who will be his starting shortstop once postseason play begins on October 9? While Jimmy Rollins continues to prove his value on defense and even more so in the Dodgers clubhouse, he is hitting a paltry .226 on the season, whereas newcomer Corey Seager is 30 for 95 (.316) since his September 1 call-up. Where Rollins lucks out is that Seager can also play third base (as can Utley), but what do the Dodgers then do with Justin Turner, who is hitting .291 on the season with 15 home runs and 59 RBIs?

Like I said, Mattingly, Friedman and Zaidi have some very difficult decisions to make before next Friday.

Let the auditions continue.