Dodgers unexpectedly dealing with 3-team race in NL West

PHOENIX » The Dodgers head to San Diego today for another showdown series ... between second- and third-place teams.

As the midpoint of the season nears, the National League West is home to the teams with the league’s two best records. But the highly-anticipated battle in the NL West has featured an interloper. It is the San Francisco Giants who lead the division, and have the best record in the majors, not either of the two teams that dominated preseason hype.

The Giants have been a surprise to most everyone, including Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.

“Yeah, I am,” he said Sunday. “For anyone to think the Giants would be leading this division would be a surprise. But you give those guys credit, Farhan (Zaidi), Gabe (Kapler), the players. What they’ve done, they deserve the credit. We’ve got a lot of baseball to play, but they’re relevant and they’ve earned that.”

The Dodgers have spent 22 days in first place this season but none since April 29. The Padres had at least a share of the NL West lead for 14 days in April and May.

But the Dodgers do have the second-best record in baseball, well-positioned in the passing lane should the Giants return to earth. And the Dodgers have done it despite having the core group of center fielder

Cody Bellinger, shortstop Corey Seager, third baseman Justin Turner, right fielder Mookie Betts and first baseman Max Muncy in the lineup together just three times and losing their fifth starter (Dustin May) to a season-ending injury.

“Yeah, I think that’s the way to look at it,” Roberts said of overcoming the challenges presented by injuries. “I think our guys have done a great job just moving forward and trying to win baseball games. ... But we’ve got a long way to go. We’ve got to keep trying to play better baseball.”

The Giants, Dodgers and Padres have three of the four best records in baseball. If things continue in this direction, one of those teams (or two) could find themselves settling for a wild-card spot in the playoffs.

Last year’s postseason included eight teams in each league with an extra round of three-game series. This year, the format returns to a one-game playoff between two wildcard teams in each league.

Incentivizing and rewarding the division winner is the right thing to do, Roberts said.

“It’s tough,” he said. “But I think the playoff structure is good in the sense that if you don’t win your division, if you are a wild card, you have to play that one game and it gives that division winner an advantage. It just gives you more incentive to win your division.”

Coming soon

Roberts said both Muncy (oblique) and Bellinger (hamstring) are on track to come off the injured list during the series in San Diego after ramping up their workouts over the weekend.

Both are eligible to return Tuesday but Roberts said it hasn’t been decided yet when they will be activated.

Seager is expected to start his rehab assignment later this week – “we’re talking Friday or Saturday, something like that potentially,” Roberts said.

It hasn’t been decided where Seager will do his rehab or how long. Bellinger and utility man Zach McKinstry each played just five games at Triple-A Oklahoma City before returning in late May from injuries that had sidelined them for weeks. Seager has been out since breaking a bone in his right hand on May 15.

“I don’t know. I think sometimes it could be three games. Sometimes it could be seven or eight games,” Roberts said. “It’s playerdependent. Corey is very in tune with his mechanics.”

Also

Right-hander Mitch White was sent to Oklahoma City after giving up two run-scoring hits in four batters on Saturday night. Right-hander Edwin Uceta was recalled. Uceta has a 3.55 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in seven appearances with the Dodgers this season.