LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers have played 10 games so far this postseason, and by using a mostly regular lineup have eight different players who have played every single game. All of them are starters, except for outfielder Justin Dean, who hasn’t yet batted during this postseason.

“If there’s a chance to have him bat, it’s probably unlikely, but it’s not impossible,” manager Dave Roberts said last week. “It’s a defined role and he just kind of raises the floor for our defense.”

The usual path for Dean is taking over in center field for the final inning or two on defense, in place of Teoscar Hernández with Andy Pages shifting over to right field. In Game 3 of the NLDS against the Phillies, Dean took over after Pages was pinch-hit for in the only game the Dodgers have lost thus far this postseason.

In Game 4 against the Phillies, Dean pinch-ran for Alex Call, scored the tying run and played two innings in center field before getting pinch-hit for by Max Muncy in the ninth inning. In Game 1 of the NLCS in Milwaukee, Dean played the eighth inning in center field and was pinch-hit for by Call in the ninth, an inning in which the Dodgers sent seven batters to the place. Those are the two closest times Dean has come to batting this postseason.

That was a similar role Dean had during his month on the roster. On a roster with Hernández in right field and Michael Conforto in left, the Dodgers’ outfield defense was among the worst in the sport. Dean was active for 30 games and played in 18 of them, totaling 23 2/3 innings in center field. He batted only twice, with a strikeout and ground out.

“Having him in center field makes our overall outfield defense better,” Roberts said of Dean.

Dean’s role is very specific, but his preparation remains the same.

“I’ve sought out a lot of people, just as far as good base stealers. [Roberts] specifically, we just talked about what he expects from me and what other coaches expect from me,” Dean said. “I talk with the first base coach a lot too, but the job’s kind of known. I kind of know what I have to do.”

The 28-year-old Dean hit .289/.378/.431 with a 110 wRC+ and 27 stolen bases for Triple-A Oklahoma City this season. Even with the limited role, and having not played in the majors before August 8 this season, and while still in the Pacific Coast League three months ago could still foresee himself still playing for the Dodgers in October.

“There were some thoughts, because that was originally the reason for me signing. There was a chance of my skill set, and what they needed, what they liked from me, that there was a chance,” Dean said. “You just never really know because of the nature of the business and how things go. I was playing well, I knew there was an opportunity, I knew they had a chance to be in the playoffs, so there was a slight chance.”

Drafted in the 17th round in 2018, Dean became the seventh player from Lenoir-Rhyne University in North Carolina to reach the majors, and was the first to do so since outfielder Dick Smith in 1969. After six seasons in the minor leagues in the Atlanta Braves’ system, Dean signed with the Dodgers in December as a minor league free agent, and was a non-roster invitee in spring training camp.

He found out he was making the Dodgers’ roster for the wild card series during a workout at Dodger Stadium.

“Super excited, super honored to be a part of something great,” Dean said of his reaction to the news.

Dean in his 28 games played for the Dodgers so far has two stolen bases — on August 22 against the Padres in San Diego, and in Game 4 of the NLCS on Friday against the Brewers.

Roberts knows something about a very specific role in the postseason, having one of most famous stolen bases in postseason history. He pinch-ran in the ninth inning of Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS for the Boston Red Sox, stole second base off Mariano Rivera and scored the tying run on a single. That was the start of Boston’s comeback from down 3-0 during the series to go to the World Series.

The Dodgers that July traded Roberts to the Red Sox, and he played in only three of Boston’s 14 postseason games, including none in the World Series. Roberts that postseason did not bat, but did pinch-run in all three appearances.

“I’ve had a conversation with [Dean], but not specifically to my role. It was more of understanding, for this year, his center field defense is a premium. There might be times he’s asked to run and potentially steal a base,” Roberts said. “He was in for whatever was asked or needed of him. You can see how much we’ve counted on him in certain spots.”

How much the Dodgers have used Dean in his role is already notable in baseball history. His 10 games without batting are tied with Clay Bellinger for the 2000 New York Yankees for most by a non-pitcher in a single postseason, and one more than Joe McEwing in 2000 for the New York Mets. But Bellinger during that postseason did bat in one other game, and McEwing batted in two other games.

Going an entire postseason without batting is another story. The current record-holder there for a non-pitcher is Andy Fox, an infielder for the Yankees in 1996 who played in eight total games, six as a pinch-runner only plus one game each at second base and third base.

In recent years, Myles Straw in 2020 and Maricio Dubón in 2022 both with the Astros got into six postseason games without batting, each filling in in center field. Speedster Terrance Gore played in six games for the 2014 Royals. Same for Allan Lewis for the 1972 A’s. Oakland was famous for the specialty extra player in those days. Lewis got into five games in the 1973 postseason, and sprinter Herb Washington played in five postseason games in 1974. Washington was famously picked off first base by Dodgers reliever Mike Marshall in Game 2 of the 1974 World Series.

Dean has a chance to have the most prolific niche role in postseason history. He’s gotten through the first three rounds by keeping the same routine.

“The game is still the game. So I go through my defense work. That’s always gonna be a part of my game, part of my routine, my defense. I look at pitches and try to see what I can pick up on, as far as base stealing, if I’m going to be running or whatnot,” Dean said. “So that might be a little bit more hyper focused, yeah, as far as my routine, but I’m still getting my hitting in and my working in the cage and stuff like that. So it’s still going through a normal day.”