The postseason is right around the corner, and the Dodgers couldn’t have asked for better timing. Why? Because their much-hyped rotation is finally back together. See, Blake Snell has returned, Yoshinobu Yamamoto is on fire, and Shohei Ohtani is showing off his full two-way brilliance. And funny enough, we’re right back to the same conversation that dominated Opening Day: what will the Dodgers’ starting rotation actually look like?

Only this time, it’s about October. Ohtani’s pitching again, and it’s hard to imagine leaving him out of the mix. But that also means someone’s going to lose their spot. Could it be the veteran ace, Clayton Kershaw? Reports suggest his role is the biggest question mark heading into the postseason roster.

“Despite Kershaw achieving such outstanding results, it remains unclear what role he will play in the postseason,” Chosun.com quoted Sports Illustrated.

Well, there could be several scenarios!

Reportedly, if the Dodgers make it past the NLDS, there’s actually a strong argument for going with a five-man rotation. If you check, the way the NLCS and World Series schedules are set up, the pitchers who start Games 1 and 2 would get a full week of rest before they’d potentially come back for Games 6 and 7. Moreover, as Ohtani has that unique two-way roster spot, the Dodgers could run five starters. They can still carry the same number of bullpen arms as a team, sticking with a four-man rotation.

And guess what, that setup could open the door for Kershaw to slot into the rotation. For instance, pairing him right after a high-velocity righty like Yamamoto, Glasnow, or even Ohtani could make sense. But on the flip side, limiting Ohtani’s innings on the mound would help keep him fresh at the plate. If Kershaw takes the fourth starter role, the Dodgers could even flexibly use Ohtani. Yes, maybe as a long reliever, or even as a late-game weapon to close things out for an inning or two.

Hence, it all comes to the point that Kershaw’s position is still not confirmed.

The Dodgers’ new rookie could also pose a challenge

It’s not only Ohtani who is forcing us to rethink Kershaw’s position, but a new name in the block could also pose a similar challenge. Emmet Sheehan!

For the unversed, Sheehan was throwing fireballs against the Rockies on Tuesday. He retired the first 15 batters he faced before giving up a hit. Reportedly, he went seven innings total, allowing just three hits and one run with nine SOs in the Dodgers’ 7-2 win. And it was only the third time in four days a Dodgers starter worked at least seven innings. A stretch that’s been huge for a bullpen that’s logged more innings than any other team in baseball this year (585.2).

Since coming back from his UCL brace procedure in May 2024, Sheehan has looked sharp. He’s given up two runs or fewer in nine of his 12 starts. And while he’s never hit the 100-pitch mark, he’s still gone five innings in more than half of those outings.

Given that, if he keeps pitching like this, it’s hard not to see Sheehan playing a big role come October for the Dodgers. And that could make things even trickier for Clayton Kershaw to secure a spot in the postseason rotation.