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Alex Vesia and Miguel Rojas are ready to rejoin the Dodgers World Series roster
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Alex Vesia and Miguel Rojas are ready to rejoin the Dodgers World Series roster

LOS ANGELES – The rosters for the World Series will be presented to Major League Baseball at 10 a.m. PT on Friday, and the Dodgers are still discussing some possible changes from the National League Championship Series.

“We’re going to have some tougher conversations,” manager Dave Roberts said Thursday at Dodger Stadium. “Which is good.”

Shortstop Miguel Rojas and left-hander Alex Vesia appear to be the most likely to rejoin the roster.

Rojas has been dealing with a torn adductor muscle for over a month and aggravated the injury in Game 3 of the NLDS. He was left off the NLCS roster so the Dodgers would have more flexibility in substitutions in the game and hope he might be ready to return.

“I’m in the best position to make the World Series roster,” Rojas said Thursday.

“Miggy Ro is fine. “Yesterday he went through the whole practice – ran well, made at-bats, caught grounders,” Roberts said. “Everything looks really good. So I think there’s a really good chance we’ll see him in the squad.”

If Rojas is reinstated to the roster, it would likely be Kevin Kiermaier, who was active in the NLCS and was used late in four games as a defensive replacement in center field, striking out twice and scoring two runs.

Vesia pitched a bullpen session on Sunday and faced batters on Wednesday. In the latter, he mimicked a game situation as best he could, paying for the catch hours early and then warming up before taking the mound.

Vesia left Game 5 of the NLDS during warmups in the eighth inning and suffered an intercostal injury. He said he felt completely normal Thursday morning, which was a good sign as he prepares for Friday.

“I feel ready,” Vesia said Thursday. “I am very impressed with the preparation and the training staff.

“With an intercostal case, there should be a 30-day shutdown and then full game, but with what we've done, we've kind of created that in the last 10 days. I feel very strong.”

Vesia said his velocity dropped perhaps a mile per hour with his fastball when he faced batters on Wednesday.

“I'm full of adrenaline, that's what I feed on. I’ve always done that,” Vesia said. “I'm very confident that the way I felt last night, I'll feel even better when I go out there with some adrenaline in my body and take on some Yankees.”

Roberts didn't comment specifically on Vesia, saying he was trending in the right direction, repeating his sentiments from Tuesday.

Brusdar Graterol is also trending in the right direction, but also hasn't pitched in a month as he's sidelined with shoulder inflammation, which also cost him the first four months of the season. Roberts said Graterol's time out will be a factor in whether he makes the World Series roster.

“The other part is his track record in the postseason, how good he was, how good his heart rate was. We believe in the person, the stuff,” Roberts said of Graterol. “If things go the way he is in the squad, then it’s more of a decision as to when I feel comfortable using him. I just don’t know the answer, but I hope he’s okay at the moment.”

Michael Grove, who was left off the NLDS roster because of a shoulder injury and missed the NLCS, said he pitched two bullpen sessions and also faced batters on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium.

“Hopefully I’ll be available,” Grove said. “It’s just one of those pesky things we try to keep under control.”

Joe Kelly, who like Graterol has been sidelined for a month with shoulder inflammation, will not be an option for the first World Series roster, but Roberts said Kelly could be considered later in the series if the Dodgers need to replace a pitcher.

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