Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. For the first time in what seems like forever, the Dodger lineup is at full strength, missing only Austin Barnes and Chris Taylor, both of whom could be back soon.

Before we get to Jason Heyward, let’s talk about something that many, many readers have requested.

We are in the home stretch now, as the Dodgers have only 34 games remaining. They are holding off a furious charge from the Padres and Diamondbacks for the division title, so it’s possible the Dodgers could finish third in the division.

They more than likely will make the postseason even if they finish third, as they have a bigger lead for the final wild-card spot than they do for third place in the West. They also are closer to having the best record in the NL than they are to the final wild-card spot. It’s just a crazy NL West right now.

There’s no way of telling who will win, of course, that’s why they play the games. But who has the easiest schedule the rest of the way?

Let’s take a look (the asterisk denotes a team that would make the postseason if the season ended today):

Dodgers
34 games remaining

Home (18)
vs. Tampa Bay, 3 (Tampa Bay is 64-63)
vs. *Baltimore, 3 (74-55)
vs. *Cleveland, 3 (73-54)
vs. Chicago Cubs, 3 (63-65)
vs. Colorado, 3 (47-81)
vs. *San Diego, 3 (72-57)

Road (16)
at *Arizona, 4 (72-56)
at Angels, 2 (54-74)
at *Atlanta, 4 (67-59)
at Miami, 3 (46-81)
at Colorado, 3 (47-81)

The Dodgers have four off days remaining. They close the season with three games at home against San Diego, followed by three games at Colorado.

San Diego
33 games remaining

Home (15)
vs. New York Mets, 3 (67-61)
vs. Detroit, 3 (62-66)
vs. San Francisco, 3 (65-64)
vs. *Houston, 3 (69-58)
vs. Chicago White Sox, 3 (31-97)

Road (18)
at St. Louis, 4 (63-64)
at Tampa Bay, 3 (64-63)
at Seattle, 2 (64-64)
at San Francisco, 3 (65-64)
at *Dodgers, 3 (76-52)
at *Arizona, 3 (72-56)

The Padres have five off days remaining. They close the season with three games at the Dodgers followed by three games at Arizona.

Arizona
34 games remaining

Home (18)
vs. New York Mets, 3 (67-61)
vs. *Dodgers, 4 (76-52)
vs. Texas, 2 (59-69)
vs. *Milwaukee, 3 (73-54)
vs. San Francisco, 3 (65-64)
vs. *San Diego, 3 (72-57)

Road (16)
at Boston, 3 (67-59)
at San Francisco, 3 (65-64)
at *Houston, 3 (69-58)
at Colorado, 3 (47-81)
at *Milwaukee, 4 (73-54)

The Diamondbacks have four off days remaining. They close the season with six home games, three against San Francisco, three against San Diego.

What does all this mean? To quote a great swordsman, “Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up.”

The Dodgers have 11 series remaining. Five are with teams that would currently make the postseason. Six are with teams that are .500 or better. The cumulative won-loss percentage of the remaining teams: .483.

The Padres have 11 series remaining. Three are with teams that would currently make the postseason. Eight are with teams that are .500 or better. The cumulative won-loss percentage of the remaining teams: .496.

The Diamondbacks have 11 series remaining. Five are with teams that would currently make the postseason. Nine are with teams that are .500 or better. The cumulative won-loss percentage of the remaining teams: .523

The Dodgers face Cleveland and Baltimore, who are both battling (along with the Yankees) for the best record in the AL. Arizona has the toughest opposition, day in and day out, the rest of the way. I have a feeling it will come down to the final three games of the season, with San Diego at Arizona and the Dodgers at Colorado. And being in Denver, that means the Dodgers will have to use a lot of relievers just before the postseason begins.

Roster notes

The big news happened Thursday. The Dodgers activated Chris Taylor and designated Jason Heyward for assignment. This move caused a lot of consternation among fans online. But in the absence, so far, of an official explanation, let’s try to figure out the reasoning.

Heyward can play only right and left. Those positions are taken. Taylor can play multiple positions, including center. Heyward’s contract is up at the end of the season. Taylor has one year and $15 million left on his. Kevin Kiermaier is a four-time Gold Glove in center. Kiké Hernández can play multiple positions. None of these guys are hitting very well this season. In 43 postseason games, Heyward hit .148.

All those things add up to Heyward being the odd man out.

Heyward did bring certain intangibles however. He was a left-handed hitter. Well respected in the clubhouse. Worked hard and set an example for the younger players.

“You see him every day coming in working, helping the younger guys out, his whole routine, how professional he is,” catcher Will Smith said last year as reported in this story on Heyward’s release by Jack Harris. “That rubs off on guys.”

Will this come back to hurt the Dodgers? You never know, but I keep coming back to one thought: If your World Series title hopes rest on the last position player on your roster, then you have bigger problems. The Dodgers are still in the same boat as last week, and the week before that and….. they need the right guys to get hot in the postseason. It doesn’t matter if Heyward or Taylor is on the team if the top of the lineup goes one for 41.

In other news… On the day the previous newsletter came out, the one that talked about all the arm injuries, the Dodgers put Tyler Glasnow on the IL because of a sore elbow. Glasnow has already pitched more innings this season than any previous season and has had Tommy John surgery, so the move is believed to be precautionary. Glasnow said he actually felt fine the day he was put on the IL.

“The impetus of putting him on the IL is so we don’t have to worry about how we manage him moving forward,” Dave Roberts said. “He was fighting tooth and nail to make the start, but we’ve been very consistent as far as getting guys ready for the stretch run, and he’s a big part of finishing this season off the right way.

“If he were to have made the start, I would’ve been on pins and needles from the first throw, and I don’t think that’s good for him or good for the team. We made the right decision. Tyler was really disappointed because he wanted to take the baseball, but I think as an organization this was something we had to do.”

Bobby Miller replaced Glasnow on the roster.

The Dodgers also put Austin Barnes on the IL because of a broken toe and recalled Hunter Feduccia from the minors. Barnes is expected back as soon as he is eligible.

Finally, Max Muncy and Tommy Edman were activated from the IL. Muncy homered has hit the cover off the ball his first three games back. To make room, Nick Ahmed was designated for assignment and Andy Pages was sent to the minors.

Ahmed did what he was asked to do: Hold down the fort at shortstop until Miguel Rojas returned. And with Edman on the roster, Ahmed was going to get almost no playing time. Pages never found a consistent groove as a hitter and his defense is average at best. With Kiermaier and his Gold Glove defense in center and with Mookie Betts back in right, there was not a good spot for Pages.

Justin Turner returns

Justin Turner made his long-awaited return to Dodger Stadium on Monday as a member of the Seattle Mariners. He signed as a free agent after the 2022 season when the Dodgers showed little interest in bringing him back. Played well for Boston, then signed with Toronto before this offseason, and the Blue Jays sent him to Seattle at the trade deadline. In the nine years of this newsletter, there is no one who has generated more positive comments than Turner, making him easily the biggest fan favorite since 2015.

Turner was honored before the game. Turner’s wife, Kourtney, and son Bo joined him behind home plate for a video of his career highlights as a Dodger before the team presented Turner with a $10,000 check for his foundation as well as three framed photos of him in action.

“What’s up, L.A.?” Turner said to the crowd. “I just wanted to say from the bottom of my heart. Thank you guys so much for nine of the most incredible years of my life. From top to bottom — ownership, front office, staff, players, you guys made this one of the most special times. And I can’t say thank you enough. This time in this uniform meant the world to me. And Dodger fans — you guys are truly amazing and will always have a special spot in my heart. So thank you.”

Dave Roberts, on whether Turner could become a manager one day: “He’s probably the smartest player I’ve ever had, understanding all the facets of the game on the field, off the field, responsibility as a professional athlete. Being a field manager is something that’s on his radar. He and the organization have a huge respect and admiration. It seems like a no-brainer for me.”

I was all set to write about how the Dodgers should find a way to bring him back next season, whether it be as a player as coach. As a player, logically it makes no sense because he can really only play first or DH nowadays, and those two positions are taken. But if there’s a way…. Of course, this is why GMs have to make decisions with their brain and not their heart.

Anyway, Bill Plaschke wrote about how the Dodgers should bring him back, so I don’t have to write it. Go read it here.

Random thoughts

—It’s time to shut Walker Buehler down for the season. Can’t give away that many runs at the beginning of games and it’s time to find the postseason rotation (hint: Buehler’s not part of it.)

—Some wondered what the big deal is about Muncy coming back, since he hits .220. Muncy’s value does not reside in his batting average. He has a lot of power, and draws a lot of walks, so he gets on base more often than others in the lineup with a higher batting average. The value of a player does not lie solely in one stat. I can pull out a stat on almost any player and make him look great or terrible. It’s the overall picture that counts. Muncy does things that make up for his low batting average. Is it better to have a player that does everything well? Of course, but those players come with a hefty price tag. At $12 million, Muncy is a good player to have.

—Charley Steiner returned to the broadcast booth for a couple of innings recently. He is still recovering from multiple fractures in his back and is playing it by ear as far as how much he can contribute the rest of the way.

This can’t be possible

In this grim, brutal, depressing, downhearted, sad season, where nothing has gone right and where a percentage of the fan base has written to say “They can’t possibly win it this year,” here’s a look at the best records in baseball. I mean, the Dodgers must be down around 15th right?

Dodgers, 76-52
NY Yankees, 75-53
Philadelphia, 74-53
Cleveland, 73-54
Milwaukee, 73-54
Baltimore, 74-55
Arizona, 72-56
Minnesota, 71-56
Kansas City, 71-56
San Diego, 72-57

That can’t possibly be right, can it? The Dodgers have the best record in baseball? Surely, the Avengers have used some Pym Particles and brought us into some other alternate reality, right? Scott Bakula is going to Quantum Leap into someone’s body and fix this. Captain Kirk and the Enterprise are going to slingshot around the sun and fix this obvious mistake. Please, feel free to insert your own time travel/parallel earth story line here.

The last two weeks

How the Dodgers hitters and pitchers have fared the last two weeks (through Wednesday):

Amed Rosario, 1 for 1
Max Muncy, 4 for 10, 2 doubles, 2 homers, 6 RBIs, 2 walks, 3 K’s
Miguel Rojas, .353/.389/.412, 34 at-bats, 2 doubles, 4 RBIs, 2 walks, 3 K’s
Kevin Kiermaier, .310/.310/.517, 29 at-bats, 1 double, 1 triple, 1 homer, 5 RBIs, 1 walk, 7 K’s
Gavin Lux, .306/.346/.633, 49 at-bats, 4 doubles, 4 homers, 9 RBIs, 3 walks, 12 K’s
Mookie Betts, .300/.349/.525, 40 at-bats, 3 doubles, 2 homers, 7 RBIs, 3 walks, 10 K’s
Freddie Freeman, .298/.353/.447, 47 at-bats, 4 doubles, 1 homer, 3 RBIs, 4 walks, 9 K’s
Will Smith, .242/.366/.424, 33 at-bats, 3 doubles, 1 homer, 5 RBIs, 5 walks, 6 K’s
Andy Pages, .235/.350/.588, 17 at-bats, 3 doubles, 1 homer, 3 RBIs, 3 walks, 3 K’s
Teoscar Hernández, .234/.294/.340, 47 at-bats, 2 doubles, 1 homer, 6 RBIs, 2 walks, 6 K’s
Kiké Hernández, .222/.250/.361, 36 at-bats, 2 doubles, 1 homer, 6 RBIs, 2 walks, 6 K’s
Shohei Ohtani, .200/.279/.546, 55 at-bats, 2 triple, 5 homers, 7 RBIs, 6 walks, 14 K’s
Jason Heyward, .200/.200/.467, 15 at-bats, 1 double, 1 homer, 4 RBIs, 4 K’s
Tommy Edman, 2 for 11
Nick Ahmed, 2 for 11
Austin Barnes, 0 for 12
Team, .260/.316/.470, 28 doubles, 3 triples, 20 homers, 36 walks, 107 K’s, 5.15 runs per games

Pitching

Evan Phillips, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 save, 6 IP, 3 hits, 1 walk, 8 K’s
Michael Kopech, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 saves, 5.1 IP, 1 walk, 7 K’s
River Ryan, 0.00 ERA, 4.2 IP, 4 hits, 4 K’s
Ryan Brasier, 0.00 ERA, 2.2 IP, 1 K
Gavin Stone, 2-0, 0.75 ERA, 12 IP, 5 hits, 2 walks, 16 K’s
Clayton Kershaw, 2-0, 0.77 ERA, 11.2 IP, 7 hits, 3 walks, 8 K’s
Alex Vesia, 1.80 ERA, 5 IP, 3 hits, 3 walks, 6 K’s
Joe Kelly, 1-0, 2.08 ERA, 4.1 IP, 3 hits, 3 walks, 6 K’s
Brent Honeywell, 0-1, 2.25 ERA, 4 IP, 3 hits, 1 walk, 2 K’s
Landon Knack, 2.25, 1 save, 4 IP, 3 hits, 2 K’s
Tyler Glasnow, 2.57 ERA, 7 IP, 5 hits, 1 walk, 4 K’s
Anthony Banda, 3.00 ERA, 6 IP, 6 hits, 1 walk, 9 K’s
Jack Flaherty, 2-0, 4.41 ERA, 16.1 IP, 18 hits, 4 walks, 22 K’s
Justin Wrobleski, 1-0, 7.20 ERA, 5 IP, 4 hits, 2 walks, 3 K’s
Walker Buehler, 7.36 ERA, 7.1 IP, 11 hits, 7 walks, 4 K’s
Michael Grove, 7.71 ERA, 2.1 IP, 2 hits, 3 walks, 3 K’s
Bobby Miller, 0-1, 7.71 ERA, 4.2 IP, 8 hits, 1 walk, 1 K
Blake Treinen, 9.00 ERA, 1 IP, 3 hits
Daniel Hudson, 0-1, 9.53 ERA, 2 saves, 5.2 IP, 7 hits, 2 walks, 2 K’s
Team, 10-3, 3.21 ERA, 6 saves, 115 IP, 95 hits, 34 walks, 108 K’s

OPS+

OPS+ measure a player’s on-base plus slugging percentage against the rest of the league, with an adjustment made for a player’s home park. A player with an OPS+ of 100 is a league average hitter. A player with an OPS+ of 110 is 10% better than average; 90 means 10% worse than average, etc. Here are the Dodgers this season (minimum 30 at-bats).

Shohei Ohtani, 174
Mookie Betts, 151
Freddie Freeman, 147
Max Muncy, 139
Teoscar Hernández, 127
Will Smith, 114
Miguel Rojas, 106
Miguel Vargas, 106
Gavin Lux, 100
Andy Pages, 95
Kevin Kiermaier, 92
Jason Heyward, 91
Cavan Biggio, 80
Austin Barnes, 73
Kiké Hernández, 70
Chris Taylor, 55
Nick Ahmed, 52
James Outman, 48

Up next

Friday: Tampa Bay (*Tyler Alexander, 5-3, 5.17 ERA) at Dodgers (Bobby Miller, 1-3, 8.02 ERA), 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, 1020 KTNQ

Saturday: Tampa Bay (Taj Bradley, 6-8, 3.55 ERA) at Dodgers (*Clayton Kershaw, 2-2, 2.63 ERA), 6:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, 1020 KTNQ

Sunday: Tampa Bay (Shane Baz, 1-2, 3.48 ERA) at Dodgers (Gavin Stone, 11-5, 3.44 ERA), 1:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, 1020 KTNQ

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

Dodgers designate Jason Heyward for assignment to clear roster spot for Chris Taylor

‘Not ideal.’ As Dodgers wait on pitching reinforcements, October questions linger

Hernández: The Dodgers hope Walker Buehler can pull off the impossible, but he’s struggling

Plaschke: Gone but never forgotten: Dodgers should bring Justin Turner home

Freddie Freeman has hairline fracture, but he won’t miss games for Dodgers

After lackluster Octobers, Dodgers see benefits to being in an NL West dogfight

Shohei Ohtani’s 112-mph homer a slump-buster? Dodgers hope so in tight NL West race

Why Tyler Glasnow felt obligated to say something about his sore elbow

Kevin Kiermaier and Michael Kopech finding new life with Dodgers

And finally

The Dodgers’ video tribute to Justin Turner. Watch and listen here.