Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw Still Mixed on New Playoff Format, Bye Round

The Dodgers have home field advantage locked up throughout the playoffs, and already have their eyes set on the NLDS.

Due to the new Wild Card format of a three-game series, the blue crew will have a decent amount of rest before Game 1. LA’s season ends on October 5th, and they won’t play the first game of the NLDS until October 11.

That’ll give the Dodgers some much needed time to rest and heal up, but it’ll also take away some of their momentum. While the opposing team coming into the NLDS will have just won a very likely intense Wild Card series.

Clayton Kershaw had some mixed reviews on the new format. Let’s start with the good.

“We’re going to make the most of our rest,” Kershaw told reporter Marty Coswell. “We do have a few guys banged up which will help us get them the time they need. And we’ll do as much as we can with those four or five days to make sure the guys are ready.”

Kersh made sure to mention the concern of losing some of their momentum from the record-breaking regular season.

“At the end of the day, this is the new format, [so] we’re going to have to be okay with it. Baseball is a game where you play every day, it’s a rhythm game. So it’s not going to be an excuse but that’s definitely a long time off for sure.”

Hopefully, for the Dodgers, the extra rest becomes a positive. From Blake Treinen to Dustin May to Chris Taylor to Justin Turner, the Dodgers would love to get fully recharged and healthy for their best-of-five NLDS.

And with how cold the bats have been as of late, maybe the time off will turn out to be a good thing.

NEXT: Where Will Clayton Kershaw Play Next Season, if At All?