Imagine if you’re a major league manager and your GM tells you there’s an influx of player additions coming in mid-August without even needing to sacrifice any of your organization’s top prospects.
That’s exactly the position the Dodgers are in after standing pat at a busy 2022 tradeline, keeping nearly the entirely of their farm system intact.

Obviously, there are fans that will argue that the team doesn’t need to make any changes based on current success, but the club will need at least a little restructuring before the playoffs arrive, and some of these returning players will require time to settle in.

Between the 10-day, 15-day and 60-day injured lists, the Dodgers have a whopping 13 players currently on the shelf, and there are a handful of guys like Daniel Hudson, Victor Gonzalez, Jimmy Nelson and Kevin Pillar who are gone for the season.

At the same time, there are players like Walker Buehler and Danny Duffy who could conceivably be healthy in time, but they might be pushing the envelope as far as being ready for the playoffs go.

Let’s take a look at four of the players who we know will likely be making a big league appearance soon.

Dustin May

Manager Dave Roberts said Thursday that Dustin May will require at least two more rehab starts in the minors before being reinstated from the 60-day injured list. May made his third rehab start at Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday and tossed 62 pitches over four innings.

The Dodgers will take a cautious approach to easing him back from the injured list after May underwent UCL surgery last May. He’s expected to work four-plus innings during his next rehab start before pitching five innings in the subsequent outing.

Although the club is building May back up as a starter, there could be a chance he slips into a relief role for the postseason, especially if Clayton Kershaw can return to the rotation at 100%.

Brusdar Graterol

While the initial prognosis on flamethrower Brusdar Gratorol’s ailing shoulder was perceived to be minimal, it’s taking much longer for the 23-year-old to heal. The good news is that he’s finally back on track since being placed on the 15-day injured list on July 14.

The righty reliever threw an extended session at Oracle Park on Wednesday and threw to live hitters at Dodger Stadium on Saturday. His next step will be a rehabilitation assignment in the minors.

Blake Treinen

Right now, it seems that Graterol and reliever Blake Treinen are neck-and-neck on the recovery path. Treinen also threw to live batters at Dodger Stadium on Saturday and may soon be ready for a rehab assignment of his own.

The veteran righty was clocked as high as 98 MPH this week and reported no pain. With a fully healthy Treinen back in the relief mix, the club has a legitimate closing option should current closer Craig Kimbrel falter.

Edwin Rios

Slugger Edwin Rios has been on the shelf since June 3 with a severe hamstring injury, and although his rehab assignment is believed to be around two weeks, should be available to join the team soon, if they choose to activate him.

Rios started his comeback for OKC on July 28 as has gone 5-for-22 with four doubles and a pair of RBI, appearing primarily as the team’s third baseman and designated hitter.
From an offensive perspective, Rios probably brings a significantly more amount of pop to the table than Joey Gallo, who was one of the players the Dodgers snagged at this year’s deadline.