“Tommy Edman hopes his friends can “trash talk” as Padres fans

Tommy Edman has not been a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers for very long, but he is considered an important member of the organization in the present and foreseeable future.

Edman and the Dodgers are a match made in heaven as he is able to perform at a high level all over the field while also making solid offensive contributions.

He made it all the way to LA at the trade deadline in a three-team trade between the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox and Dodgers. In 37 regular season games with the Dodgers, Edman had a .237 batting average, six home runs, 20 RBI, 20 runs scored and played three different positions.

The Dodgers' trip south for Games 3 and 4 of the National League Division Series also represents a homecoming for Edman, who grew up in San Diego and played his high school ball at La Jolla Country Day School. That means he has a little something extra on the line in addition to a trip to the National League Championship Series.

“I have a lot of friends who are still Padres fans. I hope we can beat them so I can talk nonsense to them this offseason,” Edman said.

In three games, he helped make that a reality with three hits, two stolen bases and good defense in center and as a backup at shortstop after Miguel Rojas left Game 3 early due to injury.

After trailing 2-1 in the series, the Dodgers will need to return to their winning formula from Game 1 if they want to extend their season. Although Michael King scored five runs in Game 3, the Dodgers' offense stalled after the third inning.

Gavin Lux, Edman, Rojas and Andy Pages (who came on for Rojas) combined to go 1-9, putting no pressure on the Padres when Shohei Ohtani came to bat. Rojas' only hit was a single in the third inning off Ohtani that sparked a four-run rally.

Could Tommy Edman start at shortstop for Game 4?

Since Rojas left Game 3 early, Edman stepped in and could now start in the infield for Game 4. That may ultimately depend on how Rojas feels, but the Dodgers may be better off going with Edman and a healthy outfield option regardless of how Rojas feels.

Edman provides the Dodgers with an elite glove at shortstop, and adding a slugger like Kiké Hernández or Andy Pages to the lineup in center field could prove to be a difference-maker.

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