The Los Angeles Dodgers are heading to Philadelphia for the NLDS, with a huge series against the Philadelphia Phillies on tap. The winner will likely be viewed as the World Series favorite, with these teams having the firepower to go the distance.
Before the series begins on Saturday night, the Dodgers announced their NLDS postseason roster. There were two new additions and two key departures, and those decisions reveal the Dodgers' plan for the Phillies' best sluggers.
Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic shared the Dodgers' announced NLDS roster, and the most noteworthy parts of the roster lie in the bullpen. Los Angeles has added Clayton Kershaw and Anthony Banda to the bullpen. That decision has revealed how the Dodgers plan to address the Phillies' superstars this series.
Dodgers' bullpen NLDS roster decision reveals plan for Phillies' superstars
Kershaw and Banda, two left-handed pitchers, are taking over for Justin Wrobleski and Edgardo Henriquez. While Wrobleski is a left-handed reliever, the addition of Kershaw is worth the roster spot. Henriquez, a right-hander, is having Banda take over for his place on the NLDS roster.
Here’s the Dodgers’ NLDS roster, which includes Clayton Kershaw and Anthony Banda as two of four lefty relievers.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) October 4, 2025
Justin Wrobleski and Edgardo Henriquez come off the roster. pic.twitter.com/kNaMKurRDW
Rounding out the bullpen for Los Angeles, there are a total of five relievers pitching from the left side. Kershaw, Banda, Jack Dryer, Tanner Scott, and Alex Vesia make up the lefties of the Dodgers' bullpen. Blake Treinen, Emmett Sheehan, and Roki Sasaki are the right-handed relievers for the Dodgers' NLDS roster.
This decision reveals a clear plan: limit the damage that left-handed hitters on the Phillies can do. Their lefties are their best hitters, with Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber being the two superstars in the Phillies lineup.
Brandon Marsh, Max Kepler, and Bryson Stott are all key lefties on the Phillies roster and are all better than their right-handed hitting counterparts. Nick Castellanos has struggled this season, while Otto Kemp and Weston Wilson haven't been elite hitters this year.
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Of course, the Phillies do have a few right-handers who could do damage, with Trea Turner, Harrison Bader, JT Realmuto, and Alex Bohm hitting from the right side of the plate. Getting the advantage over Schwarber, and especially Harper, is key.
Their NLDS roster announcement reveals that the Dodgers plan to focus on countering the Phillies' two top hitters, and it's a very reasonable approach.
Even though Schwarber has hit left-handed relievers very well, hitting more home runs off left-handers than any lefty hitter in MLB history, the focus on adding left-handed relievers is still key.
What the focus on left-handed relievers can also do is force Rob Thomson, the Phillies manager, to make some difficult decisions early in games. He could look to pinch-hit for one of his left-handed hitters (especially in the outfield) early in a game, resulting in a limited bench and a good matchup later in the game with a right-handed reliever.
Time will tell if this strategy works for the Dodgers, but with the Phillies' roster construction, focusing on a lefty-heaving bullpen is a smart decision heading into the NLDS.
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