Biggest questions for Dodgers entering postseason

LOS ANGELES -- The reigning World Series champions are back on top.

After punching their ticket to playoff baseball for the 13th straight year, the Dodgers clinched their 12th NL West title in that span. Up next, they'll host the sixth seed in the NL -- the Reds -- in a best-of-three Wild Card Series beginning with Game 1 on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.

There are quite a few storylines to watch, such as: What does the Dodgers' path back to the Fall Classic look like? How will they construct a bullpen that has been far from reliable of late? Will an injured Will Smith be ready in time for the start of the postseason?

We'll keep track of all those questions and more here:

What could the postseason roster look like?
Here's how the Dodgers' 26-man postseason roster could look. While the Dodgers do not need more than three starting pitchers for the Wild Card Series, manager Dave Roberts said Tyler Glasnow will likely be included on the roster as a relief option. Clayton Kershaw, who started the regular-season finale, will not be on the Wild Card roster, but is expected to be included if the Dodgers advance.

Catchers (2): Ben Rortvedt, Dalton Rushing
First baseman (1): Freddie Freeman
Second baseman (1): Miguel Rojas
Shortstop (1): Mookie Betts
Third baseman (1): Max Muncy
Outfielders (3): Teoscar Hernández, Andy Pages, Michael Conforto
Utility/bench (3): Tommy Edman, Kiké Hernández, Hyeseong Kim
Two-way player (1): Shohei Ohtani
Starters (2): Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell
Relievers (11): Anthony Banda, Ben Casparius, Jack Dreyer, Tyler Glasnow, Edgardo Henriquez, Roki Sasaki, Tanner Scott, Emmet Sheehan, Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia, Justin Wrobleski

• Reds-Dodgers position-by-position breakdown

When does the postseason begin?
The NL Wild Card Series begin on Tuesday.

What is the Dodgers' first-round matchup?
Having won the NL West, the Dodgers will host the sixth seed in the Wild Card Series. The Reds, against whom the Dodgers went 5-1 in the regular season, locked up the final Wild Card spot on Sunday.

What will the postseason rotation look like, and who would start in the Wild Card Series?
The Dodgers' four-man postseason rotation figures to be Yamamoto, Snell, Ohtani and Glasnow. Snell and Yamamoto will start the first two games of the Wild Card Series, and Ohtani would start a potential Game 3.

Will Ohtani be used in a role other than starting pitcher or DH?
There has been some discussion of Ohtani pitching out of the bullpen at some point during the postseason, which seems like a possibility. There has also been talk of him making an appearance in the outfield, if need be, because the "Ohtani rule" does not work the same way for starters and relievers. That seems less likely to happen.

For now, the Dodgers envision using Ohtani on the mound as a starter, but they've left the door open to him making a relief appearance in the right situation.

Which injured players could return?
Smith's status for the beginning of the postseason is questionable, as additional imaging on his right hand revealed a hairline fracture. The Dodgers are hopeful that he will be available at some point during the postseason, and carrying three catchers on the roster is not out of the question if Smith is close, but not quite ready yet.

Righty Michael Kopech (right knee inflammation) is out through the end of the regular season, but the team is hopeful that he can reset and become a viable option in the postseason. Fellow righty reliever Kirby Yates (right hamstring strain) is in a similar boat.

Right-hander Brock Stewart (right shoulder inflammation), who was initially hopeful to return before season's end, underwent a debridement procedure on his shoulder and will be out for the year.

While the Dodgers had not initially ruled out hard-throwing righty Brusdar Graterol, who has been rehabbing from right shoulder labrum surgery, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said he is not expected back this year.

Which roster spots may be up for grabs?
The bullpen arguably has the fewest locks of any position group. The back-end arms have been unreliable, leaving Roberts searching for options he trusts in leverage situations. That opens the door for Sasaki and possibly others such as Kyle Hurt or Will Klein to carve out a roster spot. Rookie righty Ben Casparius, who had spent the whole year on the big league roster before being optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City in September, should be under consideration as well.

The Dodgers will have decisions to make with their bench. If Smith is available at the start of the postseason, there are essentially three spots that could be up for grabs among Rortvedt, Rushing, Conforto, Alex Call and Kim.

Kim is valuable as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement. With the backup catcher spot, it could make sense to ride the hot hand and keep Rortvedt over Rushing -- although the Dodgers could carry one fewer pitcher for the Wild Card Series and include all three catchers on the roster.

Between Call and Conforto, it's somewhat of a tossup, as neither has had much extended success at the plate with L.A. If Smith is out for the Wild Card Series, though, it's possible that both could make the roster.

If Smith is hurt, what's the plan at catcher?
Smith is hopeful that he could be available for the beginning of the postseason, but time is not on his side. He took a necessary step forward by throwing and facing live pitching for the first time since going on the IL the day before the Wild Card Series began. Given his run of success with the rotation, Rortvedt will continue to assume primary catcher duties until Smith is back. Rushing would continue to serve as the backup.