Postseason FAQ: What's next for Dodgers?

The reigning World Series champions are back in the postseason.

The Dodgers have taken a key first step toward defending their title, punching their ticket to playoff baseball for the 13th straight year.

In the final days of the regular season, there are quite a few storylines to watch, such as: Can the Dodgers hang on to first place in the NL West? What does their path back to the Fall Classic look like? How will they construct a bullpen that has been far from reliable of late?

We'll keep track of all those questions and more here:

What could the postseason roster look like?
Here's how the Dodgers' 26-man postseason roster could look, subject to change due to injuries or performance in the final week. Because this is a projection for the Wild Card Series, in which the Dodgers will only need three starting pitchers, Tyler Glasnow has been left off. Should they advance, he would be in line to start one of the first two games of the NL Division Series.

Catchers (3): Will Smith, Ben Rortvedt, Dalton Rushing
First baseman (1): Freddie Freeman
Second baseman (1): Miguel Rojas
Shortstop (1): Mookie Betts
Third baseman (1): Max Muncy
Outfielders (3): Teoscar Hernández, Andy Pages, Alex Call
Utility/bench (3): Tommy Edman, Kiké Hernández, Hyeseong Kim
Two-way player (1): Shohei Ohtani
Starters (2): Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell
Relievers (10): Anthony Banda, Ben Casparius, Jack Dreyer, Edgardo Henriquez, Clayton Kershaw, Tanner Scott, Emmet Sheehan, Brock Stewart, Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia

What's still in play?
The Dodgers are still bidding to win the NL West. They lead the Padres by four games after Friday's action and hold the head-to-head tiebreaker after taking nine of 13 regular-season games.

The top two seeds in the NL -- and a first-round bye -- are technically still in play, but it would be a long shot. The No. 2 Phillies clinched the head-to-head tiebreaker and hold a five-game lead over the Dodgers.

When does the postseason begin?
The NL Wild Card Series begin on Tuesday, Sept. 30. The NL Division Series begin on Saturday, Oct. 4.

• MLB postseason information

What are the potential first-round matchups?
If the Dodgers win the NL West and have the third-best record among division winners, they would host the sixth seed in the Wild Card Series. As of Friday, that would be the Mets, against whom the Dodgers went 3-4 in the regular season. The D-backs, Reds and Giants are also in contention for the final Wild Card spot.

If the Padres end up taking the division, the Dodgers would need to play the Wild Card Series on the road. In that case, their opponent would likely be the Cubs, against whom they went 3-4 in the regular season.

What will the postseason rotation look like, and who would start in the Wild Card Series?
The Dodgers' four-man postseason rotation figures to be Yamamoto, Snell, Ohtani and Glasnow. If the team doesn't make any changes in the final week of the regular season, then Ohtani, Snell and Yamamoto would be lined up, in that order, to start in a Wild Card Series.

Will Ohtani be used in a role other than starting pitcher or DH?
There has been some discussion of Ohtani pitching out of the bullpen at some point during the postseason, which seems like a possibility. There has also been talk of him making an appearance in the outfield, if need be, because the "Ohtani rule" does not work the same way for starters and relievers. That seems less likely to happen.

For now, the Dodgers envision using Ohtani on the mound as a starter, but they've left the door open to him making a relief appearance in the right situation.

Which injured players could return?
Smith, who's been on the injured list with a bone bruise in his right hand since Sept. 13, is expected to return in time for the postseason. Roberts said the catcher will likely need to manage his hand through October, referencing how Freddie Freeman played through a badly sprained right ankle the year before.

Right-handers Stewart (right shoulder inflammation), Roki Sasaki (right shoulder impingement) and Kyle Hurt (Tommy John surgery) should all be options to return to the big league club in the bullpen in the final week of the regular season. They'll have a limited amount of time to show that they should be on the postseason roster, but the opportunity is there for the taking.

Righty Michael Kopech (right knee inflammation) is out through the end of the regular season, but the team is hopeful that he can reset and become a viable option in the postseason. The Dodgers have also not quite ruled out hard-throwing righty Brusdar Graterol, who has been rehabbing from right shoulder labrum surgery all year.

Which roster spots may be up for grabs?
The bullpen arguably has the fewest locks of any position group. The back-end arms have been unreliable, leaving Roberts searching for options he trusts in leverage situations. That opens the door for Stewart, Sasaki and Hurt to carve out a roster spot. Rookie righty Casparius, who had spent the whole year on the big league roster before being optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City in September, should be under consideration as well.

The Dodgers will have decisions to make with their bench. Assuming Smith comes back in time, there are essentially three spots that could be up for grabs between Rortvedt, Rushing, Michael Conforto, Call and Kim.

Kim is valuable as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement. With the backup catcher spot, it could make sense to ride the hot hand and keep Rortvedt over Rushing -- although the Dodgers could carry one fewer pitcher for the Wild Card Series and include all three catchers on the roster.

Between Call and Conforto, it's somewhat of a tossup, as neither has had much extended success at the plate with L.A. For now, let's give Call the nod because of his ability to play all three outfield spots.

If Smith is hurt, what's the plan at catcher?
Given his run of success with the rotation, Rortvedt seems poised to continue serving as the everyday catcher if Smith continues to ail. Should Smith be unavailable for an early postseason round, Rushing would likely slot in as the backup.