Woodward is coaching first base, back in uniform in LA for the first time since 2018. McDaniel, the Dodgers VP of player performance, is on staff as major league development integration coach.
For the first time in two years, the Dodgers have a change in the major league coaching staff under manager Dave Roberts. One move was already announced in November, with Chris Woodward coaching first base. The other is Brandon McDaniel taking on a new role.
Woodward coached third base for the Dodgers from 2016-18 before leaving to manage the Rangers. He returned to the Dodgers last year as a senior advisor to the major league team and player development, and is now back in uniform on the staff. He replaces Clayton McCullough, who was hired in November to manage the Marlins.
In addition to coaching first base, Woodward will also coach the infielders. That latter role fell on third base coach Dino Ebel, who will now shift his pregame focus to coaching outfielders in his seventh year on the staff. This was also announced in November.
McDaniel has been with the Dodgers organization since 2012 and has been on the major league level since 2014, including as strength and conditioning coach and most recently as vice president of player performance. His role on the staff now is major league development integration coach. What that entails, exactly, isn’t yet clear.
The rest of the staff is back in their same roles — bench coach Danny Lehmann, major league field coordinator Bob Geren, pitching coach Mark Prior, hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc, hitting coach Aaron Bates, assistant pitching coach Connor McGuiness, and bullpen coach Josh Bard.