We blinked, and it’s almost September. You know what that means for the Los Angeles Dodgers — it’s go time.Their rotation of aces is nearly back to full form, with Shohei Ohtani expected to return to the mound as early as Sunday. Will Smith should be back next week. There are questions about how Andy Pages (hand fracture) will heal and whether Edwin Díaz (neck inflammation) can regain a semblance of his form after a dreadful month. Still, the Dodgers know the upcoming month is about locking down a first-round bye and prepping their roster for the postseason.With MLB rosters expanding Sept. 1, we’re about to see the first steps of that process. You had questions, and we’ve done our best to answer. Here’s our subscriber mailbag, with Part 2 coming Friday.Editor’s note: Questions have been edited for length and clarityHow will the star rotation with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tarik Skubal and Shohei Ohtani work to get the Dodgers to a third straight World Series title? — Brian P.Where does Glasnow fit into the playoff pitching plan? — thonnef Barring health, the Dodgers already know which starters they’ll ride into October. What they have not finalized (partly because both Glasnow and Ohtani are freshly on the mend) is the order and how they’ll be used.Part of the decision is matchup-based and will depend on manager Dave Roberts’ preference to split starters by their handedness. That’s something we won’t know until just before the playoffs. If the postseason started today, it would be a safe bet to tab Yamamoto, the 2025 World Series MVP, as the Game 1 starter, with a variation of Snell and Skubal following. The biggest question heading into September is Ohtani: How much can the Dodgers ramp him up? Will he be an option as a full-fledged starter for the entire postseason?As projected, the Dodgers believe he could be. Knee inflammation has prevented Ohtani from pitching since July 3, but he’s expected to return to the mound within the next few days — perhaps as early as Sunday’s series finale against the Detroit Tigers. If he does start Sunday, that would put him in a position to make five starts before the regular season concludes. In theory, that’s plenty of time to stretch him out to five innings or a 75-pitch threshold.The Dodgers plan to stretch Ohtani similar to how they did last season when he was coming back from elbow surgery, but not as deliberately. Roberts said the club will be a “bit more aggressive” with his rollout. As always, health is the priority, but if Ohtani’s September goes according to the Dodgers’ plan, they’ll have their two-way star at full strength on the mound come the postseason.That makes Glasnow fascinating to watch over the final month of the regular season. In his start Tuesday, his first since May 6, Glasnow showed some early rust against the Atlanta Braves but logged five innings of three-run ball with seven strikeouts. He’s slated for five more starts, with the Dodgers sticking to their six-man rotation. Since the Dodgers will not need five starters in the playoffs, the most logical place for Glasnow is to piggyback Ohtani, which Glasnow can do regardless of how much or how little Ohtani is stretched out. This might be the optimal plan for Los Angeles: If a combination of Ohtani and Glasnow can eat at least seven innings, it also buys most of the bullpen another day of recovery.Keith Law on the Astros' GM firingKeith LawAssuming Yamamoto, Snell, Skubal, Ohtani and Glasnow are your starters for the postseason. Who do you think makes the bullpen? — Byron B.Even if Glasnow is relegated to the bullpen, the Dodgers will still take eight additional relievers, thanks to the extra pitcher they’re afforded due to Ohtani’s status as a two-way player.