Dodgers NLCS roster includes one major break for the Mets

The New York Mets found a way to dismantle the Philadelphia Phillies in four games, clinching their first NLCS berth since winning the NL Pennant back in 2015. Their opponent will be the Los Angeles Dodgers, the No. 1 seed in the NL, who came back to knock out the San Diego Padres in the NLDS.

The focus, understandably so, when facing the Dodgers, is on their stars. The difference in this series could easily be how the Mets pitching does against the star-studded trio of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman.

With that being said, though, this Dodgers team is more than just their stars. Their supporting cast is a big reason why they were able to get past San Diego to begin with. Who had Kiké Hernandez hitting a home run off of Yu Darvish on their bingo card?

One key supporting cast member who has crushed the Mets over the course of his career, Miguel Rojas, is off of the Dodgers' NLCS roster as he deals with an injury. That could prove to be a major game-changer for New York.

Miguel Rojas' NLCS absence could prove to be major win for Mets

Rojas is far from a big name, but has been an important player for the Dodgers this season. Not only is he a solid defender at the shortstop position, but during the regular season, he slashed .288/.337/.410 with six home runs and 36 RBI in 103 games. It's easy to gloss over those numbers, but his 113 OPS+ set a career-high in a full season (excluding 2020) and he proved to be a valuable table-setter in front of the lethal top of that order.

The Dodgers' shortstop defense will be fine with Tommy Edman set to replace Rojas at that position, but Edman's center field replacement will likely leave a lot to be desired. Kiké Hernandez is far from a game-changer defensively at this stage of his career, and Kevin Kiermaier provides next to nothing offensively.

Not only did Rojas have a good year as the Dodgers' starting shortstop, but he has done some serious damage against the Mets over the course of his career. His 43 runs driven in against New York is his most against any team. The same can be said about his 11 stolen bases. Most of that damage is back from when he was with the Miami Marlins, but still, when he sees blue and orange uniforms, his play seems to perk up.

With the Dodgers pitching all out of sorts thanks in large part to several injuries, this series will be decided by how New York can handle this high-powered Dodgers offense. Rojas is far from the best player on the team, but his absence could loom large in what should be a close series.