Dodgers Preview: Dodgers to Welcome Red-Hot Blue Jays in 3-Game Set

LOS ANGELES, CA—After a disappointing start to the six-game homestand, the Los Angeles Dodgers will look to rebound against the red-hot Toronto Blue Jays in a weekend interleague matchup.

The Dodgers have been playing average baseball over their last ten games with a modest 5-5 record and a 3-3 record since the conclusion of the Major League Baseball trade deadline.

Despite this, the team narrowly holds a two-game lead in the National League West, but the San Diego Padres are closer in the mirror than they appear, making every win/loss that much more meaningful.

The Dodgers welcomed a below .500 St. Louis Cardinals team to Chavez Ravine to kick off a six-game homestand, but failed to capitalize on their opponent and lost their first series to the Red Birds since the 2019 season.

The Dodgers’ bullpen was a real issue during the last three games, after being nearly unhittable the week prior, and the offense has been widely inconsistent.

Now, Los Angeles will welcome a true World Series contender from the American League: the Blue Jays.

While the defending American League champion New York Yankees held on to first place in the AL East for much of the season, the Blue Jays leaped them in the standings last month.

Since June 1st, the Blue Jays are 38-20, the second-best stretch in baseball behind the equally impressive Milwaukee Brewers (39-16).

The Blue Jays are also coming off a dominant series win over the Colorado Rockies, where Toronto’s offense scored 45 runs in three games, including a twenty-spot performance on Wednesday.

Now the Jays will continue their National League West road trip in Los Angeles in what could very well be a possible World Series preview (if the Dodgers stop sucking).

Pitching matchups

Game One: Clayton Kershaw (LHP) (5-2, 3.29 ERA) vs Max Scherzer (2-1, 4.39 ERA)

Game Two: Blake Snell (LHP) (1-1, 3.21 ERA) vs Chris Bassitt (11-5, 4.12 ERA)

Game Three: Yoshinobu Yamamoto (10-7, 2.51 ERA) vs Eric Lauer (LHP) (7-2, 2.59 ERA)

Game Times

Game One: 7:10 PM PT, SportsNet LA, Sportsnet, TVA Sports

Game Two: 6:10 PM PT, SportsNet LA, Sportsnet, TVA Sports

Game Three: 1:10 PM PT, SportsNet LA, Sportsnet, TVA Sports

Who’s in & who’s out?

The Dodgers’ injured list has continued to shrink over recent weeks.

The starting rotation has seen the return of Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, Shohei Ohtani, and Clayton Kershaw, finally resembling what we fans envisioned during the winter.

The bullpen, despite losing Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates, saw the return of veteran right-hander Blake Treinen and newly acquired arm Brock Stewart.

Right-handed relief pitchers Michael Kopech and Brusdar Graterol are eying late-August or September returns, with Tanner Scott throwing his first bullpen since landing on the injured list in July.

On the position player side, there is growing doubt that Kiké Hernández will return this season after the veteran utilityman has been dealing with left elbow inflammation since before the All-Star break.

Hernández received injections and other medical treatment and was seen throwing for the first time this week since the injury.

Fellow utilityman Tommy Edman was placed back on the 10-day injured list again after reaggravating his right ankle during the Dodgers’ road trip in Tampa.

The exact timeline for Edman is unknown, but top prospect Alex Freeland will replace him on the roster, who will fill in at third and second.

Right-handed pitcher Roki Sasaki is set to throw a three-inning simulated game today, and if all goes well, he’ll start a minor league rehab assignment next week.

Infielder Hyeseong Kim is also inching closer to a return after being placed on the 10-day injured list with left shoulder bursitis. Kim has since resumed baseball activities, including swinging a bat and taking grounders in the infield.

Day-to-day (00):

10-day Injured List (3): Tommy Edman, Kiké Hernández, Hyeseong Kim

15-day Injured List (2): Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates

60-day Injured List (9): Roki Sasaki, Tony Gonsolin, Michael Kopech, Brusdar Graterol, Michael Grove, Gavin Stone, River Ryan, Kyle Hurt, Evan Phillips

While the Blue Jays have been the surprise team of the American League this season, they’ve not been shy of injuries.

Recently, the team has been without impact bat George Springer as the outfielder was placed on the 7-day injured list with a concussion.

Springer was still not in the Triple-A lineup for his rehab on August 6th, still having some tests to pass before he could resume play.

Outfielder Joey Loperfido is still considered day-to-day after exiting Tuesday’s game with a right knee contusion after taking a fastball off the outside of his right knee. However, X-rays were negative, so no IL time is needed at this moment.

Recently acquired arm Shane Bieber is still progressing well over his minor league rehab assignment and is eying a late-August return to the backend of the Blue Jays rotation. The 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner threw a bullpen session on August 4th and will ramp up with another minor league start next week.

Defensive guru Andrés Giménez is still recovering from a left ankle sprain that he aggravated in early July.

The middle infielder began a minor league rehab assignment on August 5th and is expected to play several games until his activation.

Another player dealing with an ankle injury is former Dodgers relief pitcher Yimi García, who is eying a late-August return. The veteran right-hander has yet to start to play catch, but the ankle is improving.

Top free agent acquisition Anthony Santander’s return this season is unclear. The power-swinging outfielder has been on the injured list since May 30th due to left shoulder inflammation.

Santander signed a 5-year, $92.5 million deal with Toronto over the winter, but has only played 50 games this season and posted a below-league-average wRC+ of 63.

Day-to-day (1): Joey Loperfido

7-day Injured List (1): George Springer

10-day Injured List (1): Andrés Giménez

15-day Injured List (1): Yimi García

60-day Injured List (6): Shane Bieber, Angel Bastardo, Alek Manoah, Anthony Santander, Bowden Francis, Ryan Burr

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