Before the season began, many were wondering how good the 2024 Los Angeles Dodgers could be. Not only did they add $700 million man Shohei Ohtani to a star-studded roster, but with the additions of Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, it seemed like LA was primed for a monster regular season.

Well, not everything went as planned for the Dodgers this season as they struggled with injuries to everyone from Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman to Glasnow, Yamamoto and rookie Gavin Stone. And yet on Thursday, despite the health department rollercoaster and a second-half surge from the San Diego Padres, the Dodgers clinched their 11th NL West title in the past 12 seasons while taking two of three titles from San Diego.

Heading into this week’s series against the Padres, the Dodgers were in the midst of a very tumultuous September. They searched for answers to a litany of questions in their rotation, but they also just seemed stumped. And after losing Game 1 to San Diego on a game-winning triple play that clinched a postseason berth for the Padres, it appeared the Dodgers could be on the verge of a season-ending collapse.

But the one thing the Dodgers have shown this year is their resilience. So in reality it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that they came back in Games 2 and 3 to win the series and clinch the division.

Now that they’ve taken care of the division, the Dodgers have an opportunity this weekend to secure first place in the National League and the best record in the MLB, which would give them home field advantage for the entire postseason if they Manage took care of business against the lowly Rockies to end the season.

And while there has been some debate in recent years about the value of earning the No. 1 seed in the postseason, this Dodgers squad might need the first-round bye early in October more than any other team.

For one thing, the five days off will give the Dodgers some time to decide how to use their rotation in the NLDS. The Dodgers will be without Glasnow, Stone or Clayton Kershaw, who is still trying to recover from bone spurs in his foot but isn’t healing as quickly as he or the team had hoped.

That leaves Jack Flaherty, who the team acquired at the trade deadline, as the most likely starter for Game 1. After Flaherty, the questions begin. Which version of Yamamoto will we see? The Dodgers’ rookie pitched well in his first two games since coming off the injured list with a right shoulder strain, but he struggled in his last start against the Rockies and hasn’t pitched past four innings since returning. Still, he’s probably ready to pitch Game 2 for LA

After that, it appears that longtime Dodgers right-hander Walker Buehler will be the third starter. Buehler has had some inconsistency since returning from his second Tommy John surgery, but he is trending in a positive direction, with a 3.31 ERA in his last three starts, including Thursday’s decisive division win. With Tony Gonsolin making his third rehab start for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday, he could be called up on the final weekend of the regular season as a postseason option either in the rotation or out of the bullpen.

The extra days to get healthy will also be welcomed by the Dodgers’ lineup, which lost first baseman Freddie Freeman to a sprained ankle in Thursday’s series finale. Freeman told reporters after the game that he will not play the remaining games of the regular season, but his goal is to be ready for Game 1 of the NLDS.

Additionally, shortstop Miguel Rojas, who has played a big role for the Dodgers this season, suffered a more serious left adductor injury in the game against San Diego. An MRI scan then discovered a tear that will reportedly require offseason surgery, but Rojas will try to work through it in the meantime. His ability to provide top-notch defense at shortstop and add some offense will be crucial for the Dodgers going forward.

When they’re firing on all cylinders, the Dodgers are as tough a team to beat as any. But the reality is that while they are capable of boasting the best MLB record, they are not out of the woods yet. While a young, red-hot team like the Tigers could lose momentum with a first-round bye, the Dodgers are a veteran team with plenty of postseason experience.

A few days to mentally recover while giving some key contributors time to heal is exactly what they need as October begins.