GLENDALE, Ariz. -- It has been an unusual spring for the Dodgers compared with the previous two years. They've enjoyed a full-length camp because they're not beginning the season on international soil, and with five big leaguers away for the World Baseball Classic, it has been quieter at Camelback Ranch.
The Dodgers don't mind having a relatively boring camp for a change. They know plenty of intrigue is ahead in their bid for a three-peat.
After Saturday's 7-2 loss to the White Sox, only seven games remain on the Dodgers' Cactus League slate, so let's take a look at seven storylines to follow before they break camp for L.A.:
Battle for the keystone
This position battle was on pause while Hyeseong Kim was at the Classic, but after Team Korea was eliminated by the Dominican Republic in the quarterfinals, Kim is on his way back to Dodgers camp and is expected to be in the lineup on Sunday. Kim and No. 8 prospect Alex Freeland have essentially been competing to be the left-handed side of a second-base platoon, if manager Dave Roberts ends up handling it that way.
Kim went 6-for-13 (.462) in four Cactus League games, but he was only 1-for-12 with a home run in the Classic. Freeland has shown some impressive plate discipline, but perhaps a tad too much. He's drawn 10 walks but hit only 4-for-31 (.129) in 14 games. As Roberts sees it, the competition "hasn't changed a whole lot" since Kim left.
Filling out the rotation
Behind Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaki, the Dodgers have another spot or two to fill. Roberts has suggested that the team may not need a dedicated six-man rotation to open the season, so it would make sense for the sixth starter to be a swingman. That would seemingly give Emmet Sheehan and Justin Wrobleski, who have experience in that role, the edge over No. 6 prospect River Ryan.
Ryan has impressed this spring in his first game action since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2024, but he and the team have indicated that keeping him in a consistent role is what best serves him at this point. That may mean beginning the year in Triple-A.
Báilalo, Roki
After blowing away White Sox Minor Leaguers in a "B" game, Sasaki should be set for one more Cactus League start, likely on Tuesday night against the Royals. He has looked sharp in his work on the backfields, but that has not translated to game action. The Dodgers have made it clear that they expect him to begin the season in the rotation, but can Sasaki assuage any lingering doubts they have with a strong performance?
Bullpen decisions
Even if both Sheehan and Wrobleski double as long-relief options, the Dodgers can still have a full-strength bullpen because Ohtani does not take up a pitcher roster spot. Beyond the five arms who seem like locks -- Edwin Díaz, Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen and Jack Dreyer -- there appear to be four frontrunners for the final three spots: Ben Casparius, Edgardo Henriquez, Kyle Hurt and Will Klein. They have all shown encouraging signs, even with some typical spring bumps in the road.
Challenge accepted
The Dodgers are still getting a handle on how to use the new ABS Challenge System. So far, they have been among the worst at challenging balls and strikes, ranking last in the Majors with only 15 percent of their challenges won entering Saturday. To this point in spring, the Dodgers have been experimental as they learn the system, but expect them to start challenging more strategically next week.
Waiting in the wings
While the Dodgers are slowly but surely fielding more big league-heavy lineups, some of their top prospects are getting long looks in camp. Two in particular have impressed: James Tibbs III (No. 11) and Zach Ehrhard (No. 18). Both ended last season in Double-A, and while neither will break camp with L.A., they are putting themselves high on the organizational outfield depth chart in their first spring with the Dodgers.
Opening Day starter
With Blake Snell beginning the season on the injured list, the choice seems pretty clear. It would be surprising if Roberts didn't hand World Series MVP Yamamoto the ball for the opener on March 26 vs. the D-backs. But with Yamamoto set to make one final WBC start vs. Venezuela in Saturday's quarterfinal, perhaps the team is making sure he comes out of that well before committing.