Checkup looks good for Dodgers

WASHINGTON — The Dodgers have a simple explanation for how they turned around their season: They became healthy.

The team’s blueprint for reaching the playoffs is equally simple. “One of the biggest keys is having our guys out there,” first baseman Adrian Gonzalez said.

As the Dodgers return from the All-Star break Friday here against the Nationals, they are only 2 1/2 games behind the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West. And they are as close to full strength as they have been this season.

Yasiel Puig, who didn’t start either of the last two games before the break because of soreness in his left hip, should be back in the lineup. Carl Crawford, who was nursing a stiff lower back, could be too. Matt Kemp, who is recovering from an irritated shoulder, is expected to be reinstated from the disabled list for the series finale Sunday.

That list of ailments is nothing compared with what the Dodgers had to face earlier this season.

The offense stalled out of the gate with Hanley Ramirez unavailable because of a broken left thumb, Crawford not all the way back from elbow surgery and Kemp looking nothing like the hitter he used to be after off-season shoulder surgery.

The pitching had even more trouble. Chad Billingsley and then Josh Beckett were lost for the season because of injuries, Zack Greinke sustained a fractured collarbone during a bench-clearing brawl in his second start, and Chris Capuano, Ted Lilly and Stephen Fife also spent time on the disabled list.

The Dodgers were 9 1/2 games out of first place as recently as last month, but they have won 17 of their last 22 games.

“We’ve kind of got our confidence,” Manager Don Mattingly said. “We have some momentum.”

Keys to the offense

Ramirez and Puig are why the offense dramatically improved over the last few weeks. Ramirez is batting .386 and Puig .391. Each has eight home runs in fewer than 40 games. The Dodgers are 18-9 with both in the lineup.

Gonzalez is batting a steady .297 and leads the team in hits, runs, doubles, home runs and runs batted in.

Keys to the defense

The rotation looks capable of leading the Dodgers to a division title and deep into the playoffs. Clayton Kershaw has a major league-best 1.98 earned-run average. Greinke has an 8-2 record and appears to be rounding into top form. Hyun-Jin Ryu is 7-3, though there are concerns about how he’ll hold up over an entire season. Recently acquired Ricky Nolasco is one of baseball’s best No. 4 starters.

Catcher A.J. Ellis has thrown out 50% of potential base stealers, by far the best among MLB’s regular catchers. Backup Tim Federowicz has thrown out seven of 13 potential base stealers.

Must improve

The Dodgers rank 26th in baseball with a .981 fielding percentage, but there are some positive signs. Ramirez looks increasingly comfortable at shortstop, Crawford appears to be throwing without worrying about his surgically repaired elbow and Andre Ethier has been solid in center field replacing Kemp.

Who could help

Although closer Kenley Jansen has helped restore order in the bullpen, the unit remains an area of concern. Jansen has never pitched in a playoff game. Setup man Ronald Belisario is notoriously streaky; left-handers Paco Rodriguez and J.P. Howell have been used with alarming frequency; Brandon League is lost. Look for the Dodgers to add a late-inning option before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.

On the farm

Top prospects Joc Pederson and Zack Lee are still probably a year away from the major leagues. The Dodgers are built to win now, so anyone they call up from the minor leagues probably would be a bit player — a reliever or a reserve position player.

Last chance

Even after this season, Kemp is guaranteed $128 million over the next six years, so he is certain to receive every opportunity to regain his All-Star form. But this year he could spend a lot of time on the bench if he doesn’t produce.

Best-case scenario

Greinke maintains his recent form and the lineup remains healthy for the rest of the season. Ramirez and Puig keep slugging and Kemp starts looking like pre-shoulder-injury Kemp. If all that happens, the Dodgers steamroller a weak NL West.

Worst-case scenario

Ramirez or Puig is injured, sapping the lineup of power. The bullpen regresses to early-season form. Kemp continues to struggle and Ethier slumps. Speculation over Mattingly’s job status returns and becomes a distraction.

What’s realistic

The Dodgers have a collection of players with troublesome medical histories, so odds are they’ll lose a key player or two to the disabled list again. But no other team looks capable of running away with the division title. As long as the Dodgers don’t lose anyone of significance for more than a few weeks, expect them to be playing in October.

dylan.hernandez@latimes.com

Twitter: @dylanohernandez