a Braves face the Los Angeles Dodgers in a National League Divisional Series matchup Rob Refsnyder Jersey , two notable players will be unavailable: Atlanta shortstop Dansby Swanson and Dodgers pitcher Ross Stripling.According to ESPN'sAlden Gonzalez and Brad Doolittle, Swanson was left off the NLDS roster as he receives "treatment for a partially torn ligament in his left hand, suffered on a swing in a game last week." He hasn't played since Sept. 25.Mark Bowman mlbbowmanSwanson says his left hand is improving lowly, but surely.e hopes to be ready if the Braves advance past the NLDSStripling, meanwhile, didn't make the cut for L.A., with the team already carrying 12 pitchers and an eight-man bullpen. He wasn't the only noticeablename left off of the Dodgers' NLDS roster: Veteran second baseman Chase Utley also didn't make the cut.Stripling's exclusion from the NLDS roster doesn't come as a huge surprise after his September struggles. He posted an 0-3 record, 6.75 ERA and 15 strikeouts in five appearances (four starts).Andy McCullough McCulloughTimesRyan Madson has not been particularly good this season, but opposing hitters OPSd .966 against Stripling in the second half. So it goes.With the Dodgers rolling withHyun-Jin Ryu,Clayton Kershaw,Walker BuehlerandRich Hillas the starters and Ryan Madson,Kenta Maeda,Scott Alexander,Caleb Ferguson,Pedro Baez http://www.raysfanproshop.com/authentic-evan-longoria-jersey , Dylan Floro and Alex Wood as options out of the bullpen to get the game to closer Kenley Jensen, Stripling was expendable.As for Swanson, the third-year shortstop had an up-and-down year, hitting .238 with 14 homers, 59 RBI, 51 runs and 10 stolen bases. He'll be replaced by Charlie Culberson, who hit .270 for the Braves this year with 12 homers and 45 RBI, largely in a utility role."He's probably been arguably maybe our most valuable player," Braves manager Brian Snitkersaid, per Gonzalez and Doolittle.Culberson, a former Dodger, is ready for the moment."I'm very familiar with the team over there, and I've definitely enjoyed my year so far here," he said, perMark Bradleyof theAtlanta Journal-Constitution."But we're not done yet. Our team has played really hard http://www.raysfanproshop.com/authentic-evan-longoria-jersey , just like everybody else, but we're in this position for a reason. There's no need to let off the gas now." DENVER — A one-sided loss Saturday night left the Colorado Rockies tied for first place with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West, which may or may not be decided Sunday when the regular season is scheduled to end.Both the Rockies and Dodgers are 90-71. The Washington Nationals buried the Rockies 12-2 Saturday, ending their season-high eight-game winning streak. After the game, Nationals manager Dave Martinez announced that ace Max Scherzer will not start Sunday and instead right-hander Erick Fedde will face Colorado.Fedde (2-3, 5.24 ERA) will be opposed by left-hander Tyler Anderson (6-9, 4.76).Article continues below ...The Dodgers’ 10-6 win Saturday over the San Francisco Giants assured them of making the playoffs and factored heavily in the Nationals’ decision not to start Scherzer on regular rest Sunday.He piled up 10 strikeouts, to boost his total for the season to 300, on Tuesday against Miami, working seven innings to increase his major-league leading total for the season to 220 1/3.Martinez said the decision to start Fedde came after Martinez, general manager Mike Rizzo and Scherzer spoke Saturday.“We talked to him before the game and we just decided it’d be best if he doesn’t pitch,” Martinez said.Asked whether Scherzer lobbied to start Sunday or abided by the decision, Martinez said, “He was OK (with the decision). That last game he pitched, he got his 300th strikeout Christian Arroyo Jersey , and he left it all out there.“We asked him (on Friday if he would pitch Sunday) if it meant a team being knocked out or being eliminated, he said, ‘Yes, absolutely.’ Then today, with both teams being in the playoffs, we sat down and told him it was enough.“I understand the integrity of the game, but both teams are in it, so I got to take care of my player.”The Rockies contemplated starting German Marquez on three days’ rest, something he has never done in previous 64 starts in the big leagues. But by holding Marquez back, he can start Monday at Los Angeles, if necessary, on regular rest.Anderson is coming off two strong starts, the last Sept. 19 at Los Angeles when he held the Dodgers to three hits and two runs in six innings of a no-decision as the Rockies lost 5-2. Shoulder soreness then caused Anderson to be scratched from a scheduled start on Sept. 25. Anderson is 0-0 with a 4.35 ERA in two starts against the Nationals, including an outing this season on April 15 at Washington where he allowed two hits, three runs (one earned) and six walks in 4 2/3 innings with six strikeouts in a no-decision in Colorado’s 6-5 win.In four September starts Nathan Eovaldi Jersey , three of which the Nationals lost, Fedde has pitched 18 1/3 inings and is 1-0 with a 4.42 ERA. He last pitched Sept. 23 and came away with a no-decision in Washington’s 8-6 loss to the New York Mets after giving up five hits, four walks and three runs in 3 1/3 innings with two strikeouts.Fedde made his major league debut against Colorado on July 30, 2017, at Washington and gave up 10 hits and seven runs in four innings and lost 10-6.That was Fedde’s only career appearance against the Rockies, leaving him 0-1 with a 15.75 ERA against them as he awaits his 14th career start and Coors Field debut.Not surprisingly, the Rockies were glad to hear three-time Cy Young Award winner Scherzer (18-7, 2.53 ERA) won’t be starting Sunday.“It’s great when you don’t have to face a four-time Cy Young (winner),” said Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado, giving Scherzer credit for an additional Cy Young Award. “We were all ready to face him. He’s one of the best to ever do it, with (Los Angeles’ Clayton) Kershaw the best of our generation, really. The guy we’re facing, there’s not a lot of familiarity. I think his first big league start was (against) us in Washington.”