Two playoff roster mistakes the Dodgers simply can't afford to make

For the 12th consecutive season, the Los Angeles Dodgers are headed to the playoffs, cruising to yet another division title and the No. 1 overall seed in the National League thanks to a historic season from Shohei Ohtani and the best top of the order in baseball. But the hard work is just getting started: If any organization knows how much can change in October, it's Los Angeles, especially after getting steamrolled by the upstart D-backs in last year's NLDS.

How can the Dodgers avoid a repeat of that meltdown? Having Ohtani (and Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman) certainly helps, but plenty of question marks remain, particularly with such an injury-ravaged pitching staff.

The NLDS roster is largely set, as Dave Roberts has all but confirmed that some combination of Jack Flaherty, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Walker Buehler and Landon Knack will handle starting duties, while Andy Pages seems a lock for an outfield spot. Still, here are two critical mistakes that the team needs to avoid when setting L.A.'s roster for the Divisional Round, no matter who they wind up facing.

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Two postseason roster mistakes the Dodgers need to avoid

Including Kevin Kiermaier (and leaving Chris Taylor off)

The final position player spot seems to be a three-way battle between utility men Taylor and Kiké Hernández and outfielder Kevin Kiermaier. Hernandez's experience and playoff track record would seem to give him a leg up, and the Dodgers' righty-heavy outlook in the outfield (with Betts and Pages plus Teoscar Hernandez) would seem to point toward Kiermaier.

But that would be a mistake: Kiermaier has been downright abysmal at the plate since arriving in Los Angeles, and while Taylor started slow amid injuries this season, he's turned it on of late, with an .822 OPS in September.

Taylor brings significantly more defensive versatility as well, something L.A.'s braintrust prizes. Kiermaier's ostensible utility against righty pitching (something that exists more in theory than in practice at this point) isn't worth the sacrifice.

Ignoring Edgardo Henriquez

Henriquez has been a revelation this season, storming through four levels of the Minors before bursting onto the scene with a sensational MLB debut in September.

Henriquez is green, and throwing such a young and inexperienced player straight into the postseason fire always brings risk. But he also has bat-missing upside that the Dodgers could very much use, and as a converted starter, he could have a multi-inning impact akin to Francisco Rodriguez's run in 2002 with the crosstown Angels.