by Megan Garcia
For years, the Dodgers wanted Tommy Edman in their lineup.
Now they likely have him in it for the entire National League Championship Series.
Miguel Rojas, the Dodgers’ regular shortstop, is out of the NLCS roster with an adductor muscle tear, which has thrust Edman — a highly regarded utilityman — into the role as an everyday shortstop for the series.
It’s something the Dodgers feel very comfortable with.
He’s a Gold Glove infielder, a dependable hitter who has shown power at the plate and possess postseason experience.
“Tommy’s somebody we’ve been trying to try to acquire for quite some time and [he] just fits us really well with how he plays and what he can do,” said Brandon Gomes, executive vice president and general manager, after the trade deadline.
The Dodgers’ 2024 postseason run marks Edman’s fifth October trip in his six-year career. And though he can hit for power, Edman has kept his strength within the infield to be a difference-maker for the Dodgers.
Edman’s five postseason hits this year have all been singles, with a couple of sacrifice bunts sprinkled within.
His single in Game 1 of the National League Division Series opened the door for the Dodgers’ 7–5 comeback win.
Edman slapped a bunt to the left side of the mound that eventually led to Teoscar Hernández’s go-ahead RBI-single to cap off the three-run fourth.
“We had a lot of great games in the regular season that got me fired up for what the postseason was going to be like. The first game definitely didn’t disappoint,” Edman said.
His squeeze bunt in Game 4 of the NLDS gave the Dodgers a 6–0 lead in an eventual 8–0 win.
His first trip to the postseason in two years has served as a continuation to what he started in the summer after he was acquired by the Dodgers at the trade deadline.
“I was just excited to join the organization and see how else I could improve upon my game,” Edman said. “I feel it’s been a good fit here so far.”
The 29-year-old was on the Cardinals’ injured list rehabbing from wrist and ankle injuries when the Dodgers acquired him in July. When he finally made his season and Dodger debut on Aug. 19, he knew success was on the horizon — for the Dodgers and himself.
“Hopefully I’ll be able to contribute in a bunch of different ways. I think that’s what makes me valuable to the team,” Edman said.
He has. He was a mainstay in the Dodger lineup following his debut as he played in each of the team’s final 37 games.
They favored his ability to play multiple positions. If he wasn’t in center field, he was at shortstop — particularly down the stretch when Rojas aggravated the adductor tear.
He’s also an option at second base, a position where he won a Gold Glove in 2021 with St. Louis, the team who drafted him and spent five seasons with.
“Seeing from the outside I saw how many talented players were on the Dodgers,” Edman said. “Everybody that the Dodgers acquires seems to have a lot of success here.”
His offensive capabilities in St. Louis also made him a standout. He ranked seventh among rookie hitters in 2019 with a .304 (99-for-326) in 99 games. Edman flashed his strength in 2022 with a career-high 13 home runs.
Upon joining the Dodgers, Edman showed consistency at the plate in the beginning, then he proved his power in mid-September. He clubbed his first homer in the second inning against the Cubs on Sept. 10 and his second long ball followed in the fourth.
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Less than 24 hours later, Edman repeated history. He blasted two more homers — one from each side of the plate for the first time in his career. It ignited a 10-game stretch where he slashed .290/.357/.816/1.173 with six home runs and 12 RBI.
He cooled at the end of the season by going 2-for-30, but the intensity of the postseason has lifted Edman. He started in each game against the Padres — his childhood favorite team — and went 4-for-17 with a run scored, an RBI and two stolen bases in the NLDS.
Now as the everyday shortstop in the NLCS, Edman has another round of baseball to continue his impact with the Dodgers.
He went 1-for-3 against the Mets in Game 1. Edman’s RBI single in the fourth started the three-run frame to help propel the Dodgers to a 9–0 win on Sunday.
NLCS: Tommy Edman fits in the Dodgers’ plans to win was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.