Rushing to return for final series. Is that enough time to earn postseason spot?

LOS ANGELES -- As the Dodgers mull over how to assemble their postseason bench, part of the decision may come down to weighing one small sample of plate appearances against another.

The Dodgers plan to activate Dalton Rushing from the 10-day injured list before Friday's series opener against the Giants at Oracle Park, manager Dave Roberts said Thursday. Rushing, who will only be available as a hitter due to a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, is expected to get three pinch-hit appearances at most during the final weekend of the regular season.

Rushing has taken just eight plate appearances since the beginning of August, when he sustained the elbow injury. He spent most of August on the IL, returned when rosters expanded on Sept. 1 and went back on the IL shortly afterward when he aggravated his elbow while working through a throwing progression.

It would be an uphill battle for Rushing to make the postseason roster, Roberts acknowledged. But the Dodgers want to give the 25-year-old backstop the chance to end the season with the big league club.

"Just the circumstances of his situation, it's just tough to just be hurt, be back, then be hurt again," Roberts said. "And then take three pinch-hit at-bats, potentially, and then say, 'Hey, you're on the roster.'

"What he's done for us this season certainly deserves some consideration. That's kind of giving him the respect and thoughtfulness of what he's done for us."

The likely front-runner to be the primary left-handed bat off the bench is top prospect Josue De Paula, who was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City when Shohei Ohtani was activated from the 15-day IL on Wednesday. De Paula's career in the big leagues spans a mere 11 games and 42 plate appearances -- but he greatly impressed the Dodgers with his ability to conduct an at-bat, hitting 10-for-31 (.323) and reaching base at a .500 clip.

"He's done everything he can to put himself in a position to be in the conversation for us as we're making our postseason roster," president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said.

Rushing has hardly played in the past two months, but he has a larger sample of big league plate appearances to draw on. He took a step forward in his second season in the Majors, hitting .249 with a .798 OPS and 12 homers.

So the Dodgers aren't only considering Rushing's next three plate appearances as they evaluate him for a potential bench role.

"It's a small track record, but it's a good track record," Roberts said.

Whether Rushing or De Paula best suits the Dodgers' bench needs is a more complex question. Both are essentially hitters only, Rushing due to his elbow and De Paula because his defense is a work in progress. De Paula would be a better option to run off the bench, as he swiped 30 bags in back-to-back Minor League seasons, while Rushing has never stolen more than two bases in a single professional season.

But if the Dodgers really wanted to round out their bench with a designated runner or defensive specialist, then carrying someone like Hyeseong Kim would make more sense than either Rushing or De Paula. Roberts said that he could see the team carrying 14 position players and 12 pitchers in the best-of-five NL Division Series -- opening an additional spot on the bench -- whereas in the best-of-seven NL Championship Series, the team would probably lean toward carrying the maximum 13 pitchers.

So while performance at the big league level matters, the decision will be more involved for Rushing, De Paula and the Dodgers' other postseason bench options.

"There's some nuanced conversation that needs to happen," Roberts said, "and what fits best for a potential first-round matchup."