The Dodgers made two changes to their 25-man roster for the National League Championship Series, sitting down relievers Paco Rodriguez and Chris Capuano and leaving themselves with just one one-left hander in the bullpen.
Manager Don Mattingly also kept Dee Gordon on his updated roster, perhaps a sign he's still not sure if or when Andre Ethier will be able to return to center field. Ethier said Thursday he expects to play in the field but conceded his left ankle is still not pain-free.
The Dodgers meet the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 1 tonight at 5:30 p.m. PT on TBS.
Carlos Marmol and Edinson Volquez replaced Rodriguez and Capuano, giving the Dodgers six right-handers and left-hander J.P. Howell in their bullpen. Volquez had two bad starts against the Cardinals when he played for the San Diego Padres, but he'll be saved for long relief in case Hyun-Jin Ryu or Ricky Nolasco struggle.
Rodriguez pitched in 76 games during the regular season, third most in the NL, and struggled in September, most likely from fatigue in his rookie season. He pitched twice against the Atlanta Braves in the division series but continued to have problems, giving up four hits and two runs in two-thirds of an inning.
Capuano worked three scoreless innings in relief of starter Hyun-Jin Ryu in the Dodgers' Game 3 win, but he has a career 6.00 ERA against the Cardinals.
Here is the Dodgers' roster submitted Friday morning by Mattingly:
Starters: Zack Greinke, Clayton Kershaw, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Ricky Nolasco.
Relievers: Ronald Belisario, J.P. Howell, Kenley Jansen, Carlos Marmol, Edinson Volquez, Brian Wilson, Chris Withrow.
Catchers: A.J. Ellis, Tim Federowicz.
Infielders: Mark Ellis, Adrian Gonzalez, Dee Gordon, Nick Punto, Hanley Ramirez, Juan Uribe, Michael Young.
Outfielders: Carl Crawford, Andre Ethier, Yasiel Puig, Skip Schumaker, Scott Van Slyke.
