2017 Dodgers roster: A position-by-position breakdown

Starting rotation

Clayton Kershaw:

Finished 2016 with the lowest ERA (1.69) of his career, but in fewest innings since 2008.

Kenta Maeda:

Despite injury concerns, made team-high 32 starts last season.

Rich Hill:

Had the second-lowest ERA (2.12) among pitchers who threw 100 innings or more last season.

Brandon McCarthy:

Showed improved command this spring after rocky return from elbow ligament replacement surgery last year.

Hyun-Jin Ryu:

Had 28 wins in 2014-15, but pitched only 4 2/3 innings last season because of a shoulder injury.

Alex Wood:

Underwent elbow surgery last summer, but still considered a useful left-handed arm.

Julio Urias:

Precocious 20-year-old is being kept off the roster to preserve his innings for September and October.

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Bullpen

Kenley Jansen:

Fourth-most valuable reliever in baseball since 2014, according to FanGraphs’ version of wins above replacement.

Sergio Romo:

Defected from San Francisco, where he contributed to a trio of championships and closed out the 2012 World Series.

Grant Dayton:

Armed with a deceptive fastball, the left-hander struck out 13.3 batters per nine innings 2016.

Luis Avilan:

His changeup makes him useful against both right-handers and left-handers.

Ross Stripling:

Opened last season as a starter; now set to work as a long reliever.

Chris Hatcher:

Capable of generating impressive velocity; he has not been able to generate impressive results.

Josh Fields:

Posted a 2.79 ERA after Houston traded him to the Dodgers last August.

Adam Liberatore:

Set a franchise record for consecutive scoreless appearances in 2016 before undergoing elbow surgery.

Brandon Morrow:

Talented but fragile, he has thrown 82 1/3 innings since 2014.

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Catchers

Dodgers catchers Yasmani Grandal and Austin Barnes pause at home plate during fielding drills at spring training on Feb. 21.

(Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press)

Yasmani Grandal:

Led all every-day catchers in the majors with 27 homers last season.

Austin Barnes:

The Dodgers were willing to part with veteran Carlos Ruiz, in part, because of their confidence in Barnes.

Bobby Wilson:

Popular veteran spent five seasons with the Angels.

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First base

Adrian Gonzalez:

Despite a decline in power, Gonzalez hit .297 last season with runners in scoring position.

Scott Van Slyke:

Healthy after surgery to repair the injured wrist that had dogged him since 2015.

Chase Utley:

He brought a first baseman’s mitt to camp as part of his new reserve role.

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Second base

Logan Forsythe:

He averaged 18 homers with a .791 OPS in 2015 and 2016 with Tampa Bay.

Chase Utley:

Took a $2-million contract to return to Los Angeles despite other more lucrative offers.

Enrique Hernandez:

The Dodgers are hopeful Hernandez can recover his ability to hit left-handed pitchers.

Chris Taylor:

Made some changes to his swing that impressed Dodgers officials, and experimented in the outfield this spring.

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Shortstop

Corey Seager:

Led the 2016 Dodgers in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and runs.

Enrique Hernandez:

Hit .190 last season as pitchers avoided feeding him fastballs.

Chris Taylor:

Considered a solid defender at shortstop.

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Third base

Justin Turner:

After a pair of encouraging seasons, he exploded in 2016 with a career-best 27 homers and 90 RBIs.

Logan Forsythe:

Can play all over the diamond, and Manager Dave Roberts considers him an asset at third.

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Left field

Andrew Toles:

Batted .340 in a small sample size, but showed some vulnerability to off-speed pitches.

Franklin Gutierrez:

Hit 12 homers against left-handed pitchers in 2016 with an .884 OPS.

Andre Ethier:

Missed almost all of last season with a broken leg, which the team believes has finally healed.

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Center field

Joc Pederson:

Cut down on his strikeouts and finished with an impressive .847 OPS.

Enrique Hernandez:

Missed most of spring training while playing for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic.

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Right field

Yasiel Puig:

Despite declining performance against right-handed pitchers, he gets another shot to be an every-day player.

Scott Van Slyke:

Can also handle center field in an emergency.

andy.mccullough@latimes.com

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