Dodgers left handed power bat has 'audition' for playoffs, battling Josue De Paula for last spot

The Los Angeles Dodgers will have almost an entire week before playing again once their regular season ends on Sunday afternoon. The Dodgers have won two straight World Series titles and are once again among the favorites to win it all this postseason.

Earlier in the week, the Dodgers made the difficult decision to send top prospect Josue De Paula down to Triple-A. However, they were able to find a potential way to bring him back for the postseason.

“De Paula can be granted it if he is replacing a player on either the 10-day or 60- day IL who has served the minimum time required for activation. The Dodgers have several candidates on the 60-day IL who qualify,” The Athletic’s Katie Woo wrote.

LA is still trying to figure out its postseason roster, and it seems like there is one spot up for grabs. On Friday, the Dodgers activated Dalton Rushing to give him a chance to win the final spot.

“Dodgers have activated Dalton Rushing from the Injured List for his three-day PH audition for the postseason roster. Alex Freeland goes to OKC,” Dodgers beat writer Bill Plunkett wrote.

Rushing is hoping to make the postseason roster, but it just doesn’t look good for the returning catcher. De Paula appears to have the advantage over Rushing when it comes to making the roster.

“Indeed, at this point, it would be a surprise if Rushing got the nod over De Paula for a postseason roster spot. While both represent potentially potent left-handed hitting options, De Paula possesses better speed (he stole 31 bases in double-A this year, then another during his initial MLB stint) and at least the capability of playing the outfield if needed,” California Post’s Jack Harris wrote.

This will be a situation to monitor throughout this weekend and into the coming week. The team is certain to have some intersquad scrimmages to stay up to speed, and it could ultimately come down to who performs better.

De Paula is the more intriguing player because he is a power bat who can provide value in other areas of the field as well. Rushing is a good hitter, but he likely isn’t going to be used in any role other than as a catcher.

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