Dodgers, already best in MLB, look to get even better without much effort

NEW YORK — When the Dodgers open a three-game series at home against the Mariners on Tuesday, they will do so with utilityman Kiké Hernández on their active roster.A day later, they will get back closer Edwin Díaz.Also this week, Blake Snell is scheduled to make his final minor-league start before he is activated from the 60-day injured list.“Nice trade deadline, huh?” first baseman Freddie Freeman said, equating their returns to midseason acquisitions.The Dodgers are closer to becoming whole.They dropped an 8-3 decision to the Mets on Sunday at Citi Field but collected six victories on their three-series, nine-game trip coming out of the All-Star break.The Dodgers returned to Los Angeles with a major-league-leading 67-39 record.The other teams with championship ambitions should be concerned.The Dodgers have spent most of their season banged up.

If they could win 63% of their games with several key players sidelined, how many will they win as they approach full strength?“It’s exciting,” Freeman said.“[Those] are some real quality reinforcements coming for us.”More than wins and losses, the Dodgers’ priority will be to prepare the players for October.That includes the team’s healthy players, some of whom are dealing with injuries or working their way through slumps.Shohei Ohtani has to be front of mind.The two-way player has been shut down from pitching due to a lingering knee problem.

Ohtani has said his left knee doesn’t bother him when he’s hitting, but he’s batted just .184 with 10 strikeouts in 41 plate appearances since the All-Star break.Mookie Betts and Kyle Tucker also have to make themselves factors on offense.Slowed down by an early-season oblique injury, Betts batted .292 in the 16 games leading up the All-Star break, only to hit just .181 since.Tucker remains stuck in a season-long slump, but he showed signs of promise in the Mets series by homering in each of the first two games.He previously hadn’t homered in consecuti...