Dodgers set initial club player pool for season

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers on Sunday submitted their initial club player pool, the list of 51 players eligible to play in major league games this season. The full list can be up to 60 players.

By rule, the player pool includes every player on the 40-man roster, plus other non-roster players who might get called up. Players can be added or removed from the club player pool throughout the season, by transaction.

In order for non-roster players to be activated for major league duty, they’d have to be added to the 40-man and active rosters, subject to roster limits, just like any normal season.

Non-roster prospects included in the player pool are pitchers Josiah Gray, Michael Grove, catcher Diego Cartaya, and others.

“As deep as we are, and as excited as we are about our 26-man roster, our 40-man, and the prospects behind it, we don’t have 60 guys we feel that can step in and help us win a major league game this year, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Thursday. “We’re going to make sure we balance depth, and which of our prospects need reps, or pitchers who could really use some increased workload, while making sure we’re protected and covered. It would be a really good experience for some of our prospects.”

Emily Waldon at The Athletic reported the Dodgers would also include in the player pool Bobby Miller and Landon Knack, the club’s first two draft picks, though neither are listed (and Knack hasn’t yet officially signed). The Dodgers’ initial submission Sunday included 51 names, allowing room to add players like Miller and Knack in the coming days.

“We might stagger it a little bit to buy some time.” Friedman said Thursday. “I wouldn’t anticipate us going all the way to 60 on Sunday.”

Of the players on the Dodgers’ list, we don’t yet know who will be invited to major league spring training summer camp, reporting for which begins July 1 at Dodger Stadium and the first workout set for Friday. The remaining players will be sent to the club’s alternate training site, which hasn’t yet been finalized.

“My full expectation is that we’ll start at USC, and then at some point when students start arriving on campus we’re looking at most likely going to Rancho [Cucamonga] at that time,” Friedman said Thursday.

There were 44 players who were in big league camp at Camelback Ranch when spring training was shut down in March. Of those, eight are not on this list — pitchers Reymin Guduan, Zach McAllister, Edubray Ramos, catcher Jose Lobaton, infielder Tyler White, and outfielders Anthony Garcia, Terrance Gore, and Jeren Kendall.

Only players on the club player pool list are allowed to use team facilities, either at Dodger Stadium or their alternate training site.