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Dodgers not surprised to see rival Padres in another NLDS

Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas runs the bases as teammates watch during a workout on Thursday at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers are preparing for a best-of-five National League Division Series against the rival San Diego Padres that begins Saturday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes, left, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, center, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts look on during a workout on Thursday at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers are preparing for a best-of-five National League Division Series against the rival San Diego Padres that begins Saturday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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LOS ANGELES — Seoul-mates in March, the Dodgers and San Diego Padres are together again in October.

“It’s crazy – beginning of the season, we faced them. End of the season, we faced them (in a key September series). Playoffs, we face them again,” Dodgers relief pitcher Alex Vesia said. “They have a good ballclub. I think it’s going to be a great series. I think it’s going to be some of the best baseball you’re going to see in the playoffs.”

After their workout, including a sim game, on Wednesday, the Dodgers stayed together, gathering in the Stadium Club to watch the Padres beat the Atlanta Braves to advance to the best-of-five National League Division Series. They had a rooting interest – sort of.

“I think everyone was rooting for a third game,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said with a smile. “As far as who it was, I think more agnostic about that than it going three (games) and chaos and using the ’pen and all kinds of things that can come from being a wild card, and not getting the bye. So much more focused toward that.”

Friedman did acknowledge that the Dodgers and Padres seemed to have been “on a collision course” all year.

“Yeah, the last couple years with them being really good and us being really good, we’re always going to have to play each other in the playoffs the way our teams are set up,” Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux said. “I think we kind of expected to play San Diego anyways, especially with (Braves ace Chris) Sale going down.

“I don’t think any of us wanted anybody to win. It didn’t really matter. You have to beat the best teams either way. So embrace the competition.”

This is the third time in five years that the Dodgers and Padres have met in the postseason. The Dodgers swept the Padres in three games in an NLDS in the 2020 bubble in Arlington, Texas, then the Padres eliminated the 111-win Dodgers in four games in 2022.

This year, they split the two games in South Korea but the Padres dominated the season series, winning six of the next eight meetings. But the Dodgers took two of three at Dodger Stadium in the final week of the season to clinch their 11th division title in the past 12 years.

That three-game series in September with the division on the line gives the Dodgers something positive to take into this NLDS matchup.

“I think that’s important,” Lux said. “They kind of kicked our ass all year. So to have them come here in some meaningful games where it felt like a playoff game where the last few years it didn’t really matter, I think that only helps. You build the intensity up and it doesn’t feel like you’re just jumping into a playoff atmosphere. The last few weeks have kind of been that with all these games being meaningful so I think that helps.”

Infielder Miguel Rojas agreed, calling it “preparation” for both teams.

“Especially for us,” he said. “Also facing their staff is going to be beneficial for us because we’re going to be facing them again at this time of the year. Pitchers don’t look the same when they’re starting the year and when they’re pitching meaningful games in September.”

In the celebration after their Wild Card Series victory, Padres third baseman Manny Machado was asked about the matchup with the Dodgers in the NLDS and said, “This is what everyone wanted.”

He would get no argument from the Dodgers.

“I would agree. I don’t think that’s a false statement,” Vesia said. “If you want to be the best, you have to play good baseball. It’s going to be fun.”

INJURY UPDATE

First baseman Freddie Freeman (sprained right ankle) and Rojas (adductor strain) both participated in Thursday’s sim game. But Freeman’s participation was limited.

Freeman took at-bats during the workout but did not run the bases or play defense. Max Muncy played first base on defense. Manager Dave Roberts said last weekend that Muncy could be an option at first base with Kiké Hernandez moving to third – but he indicated the Dodgers would only do that if they anticipated a more long-term absence for Freeman.

“Every day it has gotten better. Today will be a big test,” Friedman said before the sim game. “It’s hard because any time you talk to him about it he’s like ‘I’m good, I’ll be good.’ But it was a real sprain.”

Friedman said Freeman will be on the active roster for the NLDS even if he is not ready to play first base in Game 1.

Rojas, meanwhile, participated fully in Thursday’s sim game and said he expects to be in the lineup at shortstop on Saturday.

“I feel kind of the same that I felt in September,” said Rojas, who received an injection last week. “I just have to play through it and I’m going to do the best I can to be on the field with the guys and trying to do the best I can to take care of myself off the field so I can be playing in these games. When you go to spring training, you want to play in October. So I’m going to make myself ready to play on Saturday.”

OHTANI PLAN

Friedman said two-way star Shohei Ohtani will continue his throwing program throughout October but will probably not face hitters until after the postseason.

“He’s definitely gonna keep throwing. I don’t think it’ll progress to lives (live batting practice) as we sit here right now,” Friedman said. “We’ll see how he feels, how quick turnarounds are and we’ll feel it out as we go. Nothing is definitive, but as of now, we’re not going to throw lives.

“I think it’s just the adrenaline, the intensity of these games, it’s just different. So not layering on that extra element right now, until we at least get into it and just see how he’s doing, and obviously San Diego makes the travel part of it easier, but just get in, assess, see where he’s at. He’s going to continue his throwing progression. But just in terms of that extra intensity of facing hitters, we will wait right now.”