"The Dodgers have a fast-approaching problem. A good problem, but one that needs solving nevertheless. When the team headed into the 2026 season, they knew Tommy Edman and Enrique Hernandez would start on the injured list, and that would give opportunities to Santiago Espinal, Alex Freeland, and Hyeseong Kim to start the year. Their chances to prove themselves only increased when Mookie Betts hit the injured list himself, and they've performed admirably since then in their respective roles."
"But now Enrique is already playing in rehab games and Mookie is set to join him today - the former being eligible for return on May 24 and the latter aiming for next Monday - meaning one player is going to be removed from the 26-man roster soon and the other even tougher decision is mere weeks away. The competition itself isn't really any mystery, as they aren't demoting a fourth outfielder and certainly aren't insulting Miguel Rojas even if he wasn't playing well, so it's the aforementioned Espinal, Freeland, and Kim for two and then one spot (and eventually none)."
"As you can imagine, the first decision should be relatively easy. It might take a gun to their heads to make the Dodgers give up depth, but that's also effectively what has happened here. Espinal would require a DFA to get him off the 26-man roster, unlike the other two who have options, but he really has no role on the team given that Max Muncy now plays against lefties. That's reflected in his paltry playing time so far this year, and while you'd think some other team could use him, it's even possible they're able to retain him and send him to the minors."
"Now the choice at the end of May is gonna be messy at the current rate things are unfolding, as both Kim and Freeland are playing well at the moment. Freeland won the job out of Spring Training, but compared what he show"
The Dodgers face an upcoming 26-man roster crunch as Enrique Hernandez enters rehab games and Mookie Betts is set to join him. Hernandez is eligible to return on May 24, while Betts is aiming for next Monday, which will require removing one player soon and making another decision weeks later. The likely candidates are Santiago Espinal, Alex Freeland, and Hyeseong Kim, competing for two spots initially and then one spot. Espinal may be the easiest to move because he would require a DFA to leave the roster, yet he has limited playing time and no clear role with Max Muncy handling left-handed matchups. Freeland and Kim are both performing well, making the later decision more complicated.
Read at Dodgers Digest
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