The Dodgers open spring training this week, with pitchers and catchers scheduled to report on Thursday, February 12.

Here’s an inside look at where the team stands as camp begins:

If the Dodgers get through spring with a fully healthy roster, most positions should take care of themselves. However, Tommy Edman is uncertain for opening day as he recovers from offseason ankle surgery. So too is Blake Snell, after slow-playing his winter throwing program while treating a lingering shoulder injury.

If Edman starts the year on the IL, it will create at least a temporary opening at second base. Miguel Rojas would figure to get plenty of the at-bats, but there could also be a runway for either Hyeseong Kim or Alex Freeland to carve out an opening day role.

In the rotation, a potential Snell absence could open a spot for one of the Dodgers’ younger arms, such as River Ryan or Gavin Stone, among others, to earn an opening-day spot.

There has been growing excitement around the organization in Ryan, who debuted as a top prospect in 2024 and posted a 1.33 ERA in four starts before going down with Tommy John surgery. Since then, the right-hander has bulked up by roughly 30 pounds, added life to his upper-90s mph fastball, and impressed club officials in his throwing program this winter.

Whether or not he starts the season in the majors, he’ll almost certainly have a role to play at some point. And if his brief debut a couple years ago was any indication, he could be primed for a breakout campaign.

The Dodgers have been open about their need to manage the starting rotation’s workload this year, coming off the heavy burden they shoulder in the 2025 playoffs. It’s why the team is already preaching patience with Snell. And it will be a subplot to follow as other veteran arms ramp up for the year.

Outside of Snell, the Dodgers’ other starters have reported feeling OK so far with the quick turnaround from last season. But as intensity heightens in the spring, so too will the threat of lingering after-effects being felt. By the time they get to opening day, the Dodgers should have a better idea of how their pitching staff rebounded from last October.

The Dodgers will have one of the oldest lineups in the majors this year. And manager Dave Roberts has already acknowledged the need to find his veterans more regular rest.

Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos