What happened: Los Angeles is building its starting-pitching plan around extra rest in the early rounds of October. That sequencing points Yoshinobu Yamamoto toward the NLCS and leaves Tyler Glasnow unlikely to shift into a relief role during the NLDS.

Why it matters: The arrangement defines how the Dodgers Rotation order and recovery days can shape matchup flexibility before the series even opens.

What to watch: Watch how the Dodgers order their first-round starters once the NLDS schedule begins. Glasnow's role and Yamamoto's rest pattern will show how tightly the club sticks to this map.