April 03--PROJECTED ROSTER -- Andy McCullough sizes up the 25-man roster the Dodgers are expected to field on opening day:
No.; STARTERS; Pos.; B/T; Age; Comment
47; Howie Kendrick; 2B; R/R; 32; Back with Dodgers after his free-agent market never materialized, a solid bet to again hit about .290.
66; Yasiel Puig; RF; R/R; 25: Dodgers hope Puig can bounce back after a down year in 2015 and an off-season investigation into an incident at a Miami bar in November.
23; Adrian Gonzalez; 1B; L/L; 33; Slowed down late in 2015, but is still the team's most accomplished, dependable hitter and run producer.
10; Justin Turner; 3B; R/R; 31; A journeyman who became a star in Los Angeles, he clobbered Cactus League pitching as he returned from knee surgery.
5; Corey Seager; SS; L/R; 21; Lost two weeks of spring training to a knee sprain, which served as a reminder of his importance to the roster.
17; A.J. Ellis; R/R; 34; Dogged by forearm trouble this spring, he is expected to split time with A.J. Ellis. ell-liked by pitchers and with a proven record of on-base ability, he starts in the injured Yasmani Grandal's absence.
31; Joc Pederson; CF; L/L; 23; Sizzled in the first half and collapsed in the second. Which Pederson will show up in 2016?
3; Carl Crawford; LF; L/L; 34; Forced into the lineup by Andre Ethier's broken leg, Crawford has not experienced a healthy season in five years.
No.; PITCHERS; Pos.; B/T; Age; Comment
22; Clayton Kershaw; SP; L/L; 28; He's the best pitcher on the planet, but Kershaw wants to win more than individual awards in 2016.
29; Scott Kazmir; SP; L/L; 32; After Zack Greinke walked away and a deal for Hisashi Iwakuma fell through, the Dodgers landed Kazmir.
18; Kenta Maeda; SP; R/R; 27; The addition from Japan was outstanding during his first MLB spring; now the real test begins.
57; Alex Wood; SP; R/L; 25; The left-hander with the funky delivery hopes to recapture the form he showed with Atlanta in 2014.
68; Ross Stripling; SP; R/R; 26; He impressed team officials this spring, but since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2014, he has never pitched above double A.
74; Kenley Jansen; RP; S/R; 28; The closer from Curacao could be in his final season as a Dodger. Has struck out more than 13 batters per nine innings since 2012.
41; Chris Hatcher; RP; R/R; 31; Rebounded from a rocky start to be a force in the second half of last season, with a 1.31 earned-run average.
56; J.P. Howell; RP; L/L; 32; The left-handed specialist remains effective and reliable. He has pitched in at least 65 games the last three years.
55; Joe Blanton; RP; R/R; 35; One-time Dodger and Angel came out of retirement in 2015 and found new life as a long reliever.
52; Pedro Baez; RP; R/R; 28; Moved into a prominent role in bullpen last season before imploding in National League division series.
63; Yimi Garcia; RP; R/R; 25; Yet another hard-throwing right-hander who could see his role expand if he succeeds.
62; Louis Coleman; RP; R/R; 29; Sidearmer never could crack Kansas City's superlative bullpen in 2014-15, but could help Dodgers against right-handed batters.
No.; RESERVES; Pos.; B/T; Age; Comment
14; Enrique Hernandez; IF/OF; R/R; 24; Had a rough spring as he returned from shoulder surgery, but set for a super-utility role.
33; Scott Van Slyke; OF/1B; 29; He crushes left-handed pitchers, and that's what the Dodgers need him to do. Will platoon in left field.
26; Chase Utley; 2B/3B; L/R; 37; The Dodgers believe Utley plays a crucial role in the team's internal makeup, and that he can still hit right-handed pitchers.
6; Charlie Culberson; IF; R/R; 26; He earned a spot on the roster after Howie Kendrick landed on the DL.
21; Trayce Thompson; OF; R/R; 25; Son of Mychal, brother of Klay, he's an able defender who has shown some power.
28; Austin Barnes; C/IF; R/R; 26; Manager Dave Roberts has raved about his hitting. He could split time between catcher and second base.
PROJECTED DISABLED LIST: LHP Brett Anderson, OF Andre Ethier, RHP Mike Bolsinger, C Yasmani Grandal, 2B Howie Kendrick, RHP Brandon McCarthy, LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu, RHP Frankie Montas.
