Reddit AMA: Ohtani's health, final NLCS roster decisions and more

MLB.com Dodgers beat reporter Sonja Chen took questions from fans in an r/Dodgers AMA on Friday. The full conversation can be viewed here, but below is a sampling of the best questions and answers, lightly edited for clarity.

What is the overall sentiment on Shohei Ohtani? Is he still healthy enough to keep playing in the postseason?

Ohtani is considered healthy enough to keep playing, and all indications are that the Dodgers will continue to play him, even as he scuffles. I think at this point, his at-bat quality and swing decisions are more of a concern for the team than his health. We saw some modest improvements in that regard in the last two games of the NLDS, but there were still some bad chases.

Are you as optimistic as Dave Roberts about Shohei providing some production this postseason?

This is probably the worst I can remember Ohtani looking at the plate in my time on the beat. And yet, I really can't count him out -- because we've also seen him break out in huge ways, seemingly out of nowhere.

My biggest takeaway from the postseason so far is that opposing teams -- the Braves, at least -- feel the same way. They are still going to be careful with him because they know what's in there. I think we need to see Ohtani take more free bases, because he's going to get them if he can cut down on the chase. We haven't seen him slug the way he's capable of in a while, and I'm not sure how likely it is that we'll see that kind of production from him this postseason. But getting on base, however he's able to do it, is a way to be productive.

How's Miguel Rojas? If he's resting in Game 1 and/or Game 2, who will be replacing him?

Following Game 4 of the NLDS, Rojas was still feeling a fair amount of soreness and discomfort. But he was optimistic that he would be available for the NLCS, even if he might not be ready as soon as Game 1.

If Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson are the Brewers' starters for Games 1 and 2, then Rojas might not have been in either starting lineup anyway. But this does bring up an interesting question for the Dodgers: If Rojas is healthy enough to make the roster but not to play in the first game or two, then what does that mean for the bench?

I would not be surprised if the Dodgers add a 13th pitcher for the NLCS, which means that Hyeseong Kim or Josue De Paula could be the odd man out on the bench to make room. If there are questions about Rojas' availability, do they need to carry Kim for the infield coverage? Or do they feel sufficiently covered with Tommy Edman and Kiké Hernández?

Is Freddie Freeman the official captain of the team? And what does that really mean? Dave called him that during his NLDS speech, and I didn't realize that the Dodgers had captains.

The Dodgers have no official captain in the "C on the jersey" sense, but when it comes to leaders on the team, Freeman is certainly one of them. I think it would actually be really difficult for the team to name just one captain when you look at how many players in the veteran core would also be deserving: Mookie Betts, Rojas, Max Muncy, Hernández, just to throw some names out there. You could make a strong case for others, too.

It's been a long time since the Dodgers had an official team captain. The most recent one was Davey Lopes (1978-79).

Noticed Benny Biceps in the pictures! Was he invited for the celebration or is he helping out the team in the background?

Ben Rortvedt is part of what Rojas described as the "rally team" the other day. There are a lot of inactive players traveling with the team this postseason, essentially on the taxi squad. Rortvedt is around because he would be the Dodgers' third catcher if something were to happen to Will Smith or Hunter Feduccia (since Dalton Rushing is limited to hitting only right now).

So Rortvedt and the others are there as depth, but they also play a role in keeping the energy going in the dugout -- something that can be very important at this time of year!