Earlier this summer, life was good for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

They had a nine-game lead over the San Diego Padres, were able to overcome pitching injuries thanks to an elite offense, and just seemed destined to represent the NL in the World Series once more, no matter how their competition tackled the trade deadline.

Unfortunately, the dog days of summer have not been too kind to the Dodgers, as they now trail the Padres, have suffered even more injuries in the middle of their order, and didn’t accomplish much at the trade deadline, with Alex Call struggling to get much going on offense, and pitcher Brock Stewart already on IL.

Are the Dodgers doomed? Will they suffer an early exit and watch as another team, maybe even another NL West team, makes it to the biggest stage the game has to offer? Not necessarily. Why? Because the Dodgers have the best farm system in the business and have a few players who are either in AAA or spent much of the season in OKC who could be factors this fall when the roster expands out, including their third-ranked prospect who has already gotten a few weeks of work at Dodger Stadium.

Andrew Freeland

Technically, Andrew Freeland is a member of the Dodgers’ MLB roster and has been on the field for much of August, but when Hysong Kim, Tommy Edman, Max Muncy, and company return from IL, he’s a prime candidate to return to OKC if a roster spot is needed, right behind Justin Dean and newly claimed infielder Buddy Kennedy.

On paper, this isn’t the worst idea, as Freeland’s development will only continue when he is on the field consistently, an outcome that is less likely when Kim, Muncy, and Edman are all available to play.

If the Dodgers are back to full health for seemingly the first time all year, that strategy is a sound one, but with the roster expansion date rapidly approaching, Los Angeles would be foolish to remove Freeland from their plans just because veterans are available to go, as he’s proven to be their best reserve at third base, second base, and shortstop over Miguel Rojas.

Originally drafted in the third round of the 2022 MLB Draft, Freeland made his MLB debut on July 30 and has never looked back. A switch hitter with positional versatility, Freeland has appeared in 12 games with 34 at-bats for the Dodgers, recording six hits, two RBIs, and seven walks while recording a batting average of .176 and an OPS of .510.

Are those numbers great? No, but Freeland has five walks in his last five games vs. five strikeouts, showcasing that he at least knows how to get gritty at the plate and make things harder for opposing pitchers. If he can just get his sealegs under him and produce from one of the bottom three batting spots, it will help to shore up one of LA’s biggest weaknesses, all the while keeping their interior defense among the best in baseball.

Will Freeland become a long-term player for the Dodgers? It’s hard to say, but he is unquestionably worthy of a spot on their MLB roster for the remainder of the season, and should maintain it even if he has to spend a little extra time in OKC over the next month before he locks in for the playoffs.

Bobby Miller

There was a time in the not-too-distant past when fans weren’t particularly high on Bobby Miller.

Drafted with the 29th overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, Miller was positioned as a long-term starter in LA since he joined the team’s system in 2021, but after incredible inconsistency, the Louisville product was moved to the bullpen, where he has been showcasing some pretty darn dominant stuff in Oklahoma City.

Taking to social media to break down Miller’s efforts in AAA, Casey Porter of Dodgers Daily laid out how effective the reliever has been and how he could become a factor for the team later this year.

“Bobby Miller…AGAIN! Miller turned in yet ANOTHER scoreless inning of relief last night for AAA OKC, and has gone scoreless in six relief outings in a row. Also, during this stretch, he’s retired 21 of 23 hitters he’s faced in this stretch. But then he got a double play last night to make that stat even more efficient,” Porter wrote.

“He’s been totally dominant, despite recording just 5Ks in his last six innings. Four Seam SAT 99.3, and he threw two sinkers, 1 hit 100, the other 99. He also threw a couple of sliders and a curveball. The sample size is getting larger, and IMO, is approaching the territory where one would imagine he’ll start getting SERIOUS consideration to get a look with LA to see if he can be a factor down the stretch.”

Now granted, six outings are six outings, and AAA doesn’t exactly present the same quality of batter as even the bottom of an MLB order, but after losing pitcher after pitcher to injury, including expected closer Tony Gonsolin, the Dodgers really need at least one more high-leverage arm who can get consistent outs in tight games. If Miller comes up and can continue to show command in limited action, who knows, maybe he could be closing out games in late September or even October.

Esteury Ruiz

And last but not least, when the Dodgers initially acquired Esteury Ruiz from the Athletics for Carlos Duran, it wasn’t so much as to be an everyday option at center field but instead a weapon late in games, when Roberts really needs to get a man from first to second, and maybe even third to help manufacture runs the old fashioned way.

In 2023, Ruiz led the AL in stolen bases at 67, and while he didn’t reach the same mark in 2024, largely because he only played 29 games in Oakland, he still showed he can be an effective weapon on the tracks should he get on base. In 2025, Ruiz has only appeared in 19 games for LA, hitting .190 with an OPS of .594, but he has successfully stolen bases four times and hasn’t been thrown out once.

Earlier this month, the Dodgers opted to send Ruiz back down to AAA in order to give another athletic prospect, Dean, a chance to show what he can do. But when the roster expands and LA can keep around a stolen base specialist, Ruiz should probably be the guy, as he’s one of the very best players in the business at that one tool and could decide a game should it go to extra innings, and he earns an automatic bid to second base with no outs.