Dodgers NLDS roster adds Walker Buehler, David Price

With potentially five games to cover instead of just one, the Dodgers have added some arms to their roster for the National League Division Series against the Giants. Los Angeles will carry 12 pitchers in the NLDS, most notably adding Walker Buehler, who starts on the mound Friday night at Oracle Park in San Francisco.

Game 1 starts at 6:37 p.m. PT, and will be televised by TBS. Every game of Dodgers-Giants will be played at night.

Buehler was not included on the Dodgers’ roster for the wild card game against the Cardinals, just three days after his Sunday start that saw him throw 79 pitches while striking out 11 in five innings against Milwaukee.

The Dodgers only carried 10 pitchers against St. Louis, including starting pitchers Julio Urías and Tony Gonsolin. Neither pitched in the wild card game, though Urías was warming up in the ninth inning before Chris Taylor’s walk-off home run ended things in regulation. Urías will start Game 2 of the NLDS on Saturday.

In addition to Buehler, the Dodgers added left-hander David Price to the roster. Alex Vesia and Urías were the only left-handed pitchers on the roster against the Cardinals, though neither pitched. Justin Bruihl was not active for the wild card game, and is also off the NLDS roster.

St. Louis hit .256/.325/.473 with a 115 wRC+ against southpaws during the season, compared to .247/.331/.421, a 103 wRC+ for the Giants.

“Love David and what he does, but I just think that the skillset for one game, David and Justin on this roster just didn’t make as much sense,” manager Dave Roberts said about the wild card roster on Wednesday.

To me room for the extra pitchers on the 26-man active roster for the NLDS, Luke Raley and Zach McKinstry were dropped after being active in the wild card game. Raley appeared as a pinch-hitter against St. Louis, striking out in the fifth inning.

The Dodgers are carrying 14 position players in the NLDS.