Paco Rodriguez aiming for a place on Dodgers playoff roster

Paco Rodriguez has pitched in only 13 games for the Dodgers this season, but remains hopeful he can be on the team’s playoff roster.

“That’s my main goal,” Rodriguez said.

He first has to return from the disabled list. The 23-year-old left-hander said that could happen as soon as this weekend.

Rodriguez, who spent a significant part of the season with triple-A Albuquerque, has been sidelined since Aug. 5 because of a strained back muscle.

He said he recently made significant progress, as he threw a bullpen session Sunday and didn’t feel any discomfort the next day.

Rodriguez will throw another bullpen session Wednesday. If he emerges from that without any problems, he said he will pitch to batters Friday or Saturday in a simulated game that could be his final test before he is activated from the 15-day disabled list.

Part of the reason Rodriguez was sent to triple A in April was so the Dodgers could better control how often he pitched. Rodriguez appeared in 76 games last season, second-most on the team.

The heavy workload affected Rodriguez late in the season. He posted a 5.68 earned-run average in September and was dropped from the roster for the National League Championship Series.

Rodriguez wants to make up for the late-season disappointment last year.

“I want to be on that playoff roster,” he said. “I want to be in games and I want to be in the middle of everything.”