Cody Snavely
The Los Angeles Dodgers, fresh off a series sweep of the Seattle Mariners and winners of ten of their last thirteen games, look to keep the good vibes rolling when they welcome the Tampa Bay Rays to Chavez Ravine to continue their nine-game homestand.
It has not been the best season for the Rays, who are on the outside looking in for the American League postseason hunt. They are sitting in fourth place in the American League East, ten-and-a-half games back from the New York Yankees and seven games back from the final wild-card spot.
The Rays, who have made the postseason every year since the 2019 season, experienced a dose of reality at the trade deadline. They traded away numerous assets, such as third baseman Isaac Paredes, to the Chicago Cubs and fan favorite Randy Arozarena to the Mariners, and are in the midst of a retooling phase.
However, in typical Tampa Bay fashion, the Rays have remained competitive and, despite having lost many of their key players this season after the deadline, will look to give Los Angeles a fight in a 2020 World Series rematch.
The Dodgers enter this series having won seven of their last ten games, and the offense, with Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, and Tommy Edman all back, has looked unstoppable.
Despite a nice thirteen-game run, the Dodgers only gained one game in the National League West standings, three games over the San Diego Padres, and four games over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
That said, every game and series from here until the end of the 2024 regular season means that much more, and the best twenty-six men should be on the roster, as shown by the Dodgers’ recent roster crunch with Heyward being DFA’d.
Pitching match-ups
Game One: Bobby Miller (1-3, 8.02 ERA) vs Tyler Alexander (LHP) (5-3, 5.17 ERA)
Game Two: Clayton Kershaw (LHP) (2-2, 2.63 ERA) vs Taj Bradley (6-8, 3.55 ERA)
Game Three: Gavin Stone (11-5, 3.44 ERA) vs Shane Baz (1-2, 3.48 ERA)
Game Times
Game One: 7:10 PM PT, SNLA, Bally Sports Sun, MLBN (out-of-market only)
Game Two: 6:10 PM PT, SNLA, Bally Sports Sun
Game Three: 1:10 PM PT, Bally Sports Sun
Who’s in & who’s out?
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ roster crunch is alive and well, and it is the downside of having so many players return from injury over the last several weeks.
Once all-star Mookie Betts was activated from the 10-day injured list, the Dodgers had to make the first tough decision, walking away from recently acquired Amed Rosario, including him as the corresponding move.
Over the last week, after activating third baseman Max Muncy and utilityman Tommy Edman, the Dodgers ultimately had to cut ties with veteran shortstop Nick Ahmed and option rookie Andy Pages to Triple-A OKC.
However, yesterday’s roster move shocked many fans as the Dodgers decided not only to activate utilityman Chris Taylor off the 15-day injured list but also DFA’d veteran outfielder Jason Heyward.
With Chris Taylor back on the roster and Heyward gone, it all but assures that Kevin Kiermaier will play a vital role for the Dodgers. Whether as a lefty bat off the bench or a late-inning defensive replacement in center field, he has accepted this role and hopes to help the Dodgers win a World Series championship in his final big league season.
During the Mariners series, the Dodgers also activated right-handed pitcher Blake Treinen from the 15-day injured list. The veteran righty gave up one run in his lone inning of work.
The Dodgers will continue to be without right-handed pitcher Tyler Glasnow. He is nursing a sore elbow suffered before his start against the St. Louis Cardinals on the Dodgers’ previous road trip and will likely be out past the initial fifteen days that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts thought would be enough.
The Tampa Bay Rays have been hit hard by injury in recent weeks, losing multiple players on both sides of the ball.
However, the team got a massive boost as first baseman Yandy Díaz returned to the lineup after suffering a left forearm contusion after getting hit by a pitch the previous series against Arizona Diamondbacks starter Merril Kelly.
In that same series, the Rays also added back Jose Siri after missing the previous three games due to a lack of hustle, according to Rays manager Kevin Cash.
The Rays will continue to be without key pitchers Pete Fairbanks and right-handed pitcher Zack Littell, who have suffered various arm and shoulder injuries.
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