Shortly after it was announced on Wednesday that 28-year-old Dodgers right-hander Jack Flaherty and 26-year-old Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto would start Games 1 and 2 of the 2024 National League Division Series respectively against a then unknown opponent of either the Atlanta Braves or the San Diego Padres, who were going at it in the Wild Card Series, it was being widely reported that the Dodgers were optimistic that both 35-year-old Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman and 35-year-old utility infielder/outfielder (and Dodgers primary shortstop) Miguel Rojas would be activated from the injured list in time for Saturday’s Division Series opener at Dodger Stadium.
That great news soon became even more significant upon receiving the not-great-news that the Padres had defeated the Braves to win the best-of-three Wild Card Series two games to none. As a result, the Dodgers will face the Padres in the NLDS for the third time in the last five years, having swept them 2020 but being swept by them in 2022.
As Dodger fans painfully know, Mike Shildt‘s Padres took five of eight from Dave Roberts‘ Dodgers during the 2024 regular season, including three of six at Dodger Stadium, four of five at Petco Park, and splitting the two games played in Seoul, South Korea to open the 2024 MLB regular season. That tallies out to an ugly .375 winning percentage.
To make matters even worse, the Friars won seven of their final 10 regular season games. Thankfully, the 98-64 Dodgers won eight of their final 10, but didn’t look nearly as sharp as their division rivals down the stretch.
Here’s where things get a bit sticky. Freeman slashed an un-Freeman-like .220/.313/.390/.703, with only one home run and two RBIs in his 11 games (41 at-bats) against San Diego this season, and Rojas a horrific .000/.182/.000/.182, going 0-for-9 in his four games against them. (His .182 OBP was the result of a walk and being hit by a pitch).
That said, if Freeman has indeed recovered from his September 26 sprained right ankle and Rojas from a tear in his left adductor (which he played through for a couple of weeks), having both back in the line-up, even if on what would undoubtedly be a limited basis, it could be the difference in the Dodgers being in the 2024 National League Championship Series or watching it on TV.
Play Ball!
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