Is there a reliever the Dodgers can add on the waiver wire?
-- @jkwash21
The best bullpen addition the Dodgers can make is Thomas Stripling, and he will be added Tuesday off the disabled list. He has been the Dodgers' first responder this year. Stripling came out of the bullpen and bailed out the rotation when everybody got hurt, and he's the most likely addition to make a difference in the bullpen down the stretch. He was an All-Star this year. There's nobody the Dodgers can get off waivers better than that. With Stripling joining Kenta Maeda, the setup relief should improve. If Kenley Jansen cannot close for whatever reason, Stripling and Maeda provide two legit options. Stripling was lights out in relief in April.
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What's Chase Utley's status? Are they waiting for roster expansion to include him again?
-- @michrika
Utley is healthy and the most polished pinch-hitter the Dodgers have. He's been working out regularly with the club and will be added Saturday when rosters expand.
If the Dodgers make the postseason, is Julio Urias expected to be a bullpen guy in October and a starter next year?
-- @HancelPacheco
It might be wise to moderate expectations for a 22-year-old who hasn't pitched in the Major Leagues in 14 months because of major shoulder surgery. Urias has allowed home runs in each of his past three Minor League appearances. Jansen has done that in the Major Leagues and created chaos. If the Dodgers are really lucky, Urias will make an impact as a starting pitcher in 2019. He'll have all of September to show what he can do in October. But even if Urias is effective as a reliever in September, it will be a big ask to put him under the pressure of the postseason, when pitching back-to-back days is virtually required -- which is dangerous for someone coming off surgery.
Who is the Dodgers' next great pitcher coming up from the Minors?
-- @GlennMunoz6
If you're asking for the next Walker Buehler, not sure there is one. The highest-rated pitcher in the Dodgers' system, according to MLB Pipeline, is right-hander Dustin May at No. 4, a third-round pick in 2016 who was recently promoted to Double-A Tulsa. There isn't a pitcher picked in the first round in the Dodgers' Top 30 Prospects.
Is Kenley going to travel with the team the next time they play in Colorado?
-- @Jchernabaeff
Jansen has insisted he will. Would you? Ever since his first heart episode there, Jansen has said he's never felt comfortable in that thin air, often complaining of sluggishness. I wouldn't be surprised if the heart makes him change his mind -- or doctors step in and do it for him.
Why does Dave Roberts not have a set lineup? There never seems to be continuity. No one can settle in to their role.
-- jking
If you're asking the question, you won't like the answer. When health isn't the reason, it's matchups. This management doesn't believe in a set lineup, it believes in structuring a lineup each day best suited to face a particular team and a specific opposing starting pitcher and bullpen. While the result hasn't led to a World Series championship, it has led to five consecutive division titles. As long as management remains the same, so too will that strategy.
Do you know what the Dodgers are batting this season with the bases loaded? I feel like it's .120.
-- @dprofumo
24-for-101 = .238.