Cody Snavely
The Los Angeles Dodgers continue their eight-game road trip with a three-game set with the Oakland Athletics. This is the final set of games the Dodgers will play in the Oakland Coliseum before the A’s leave for Sacramento while their stadium in Las Vegas is under construction.
The Dodgers, after starting hot after the all-star break, winning six of their first seven games, have lost back-to-back series, losing two of three to the Houston Astros and getting swept by the San Diego Padres in a two-game series.
The Dodgers will visit an Oakland A’s team that has played well after the break. Despite being rumored for a complete teardown, they decided to opt for and keep their star players, such as outfielder Brent Rooker.
Despite a record well under .500, do not underestimate the Oakland A’s in this series. Since the start of the second half of the regular season, they have gone 8-4 over their last twelve games and have four wins over their previous six games, including winning three of four against the Los Angeles Angels.
The Dodgers look to use their new toys in the toy box as multiple players will be activated this series that they acquired via trade, including right-handed pitcher Jack Flaherty making his Dodger debut.
Pitching match-ups
Game One: Gavin Stone (9-4, 3.34 ERA) vs Joey Estes (4-4, 4.92 ERA)
Game Two: Jack Flaherty (7-5, 2.95 ERA) vs Mitch Spence (7-6, 4.47 ERA)
Game Three: River Ryan (1-0, 0.82 ERA) vs Osvaldo Bido (2-2, 5.00 ERA)
Game Times
Game One: 6:40 PM PT, SNLA, NBCSCA
Game Two: 6:07 PM PT, SNLA, NBCSCA
Game Three: 1:07 PM PT, SNLA, NBCSCA
Who’s in & who’s out?
With the 2024 Major League Baseball trade deadline offically and the Dodgers adding five players to their roster, most of them will potentially make their debut this series.
Starting off with righty Jack Flaherty, who will kick off his Dodgers tenure with a start on Saturday, taking rookie left-hander Justin Wroboleski’s spot in the rotation as he was optioned to make room for Flaherty’s activation.
Dodgers’ new center fielder Kevin Kiermaier, who was acquired in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays for recently DFA’s lefty Ryan Yarbrough, will be active and on the 26-man roster for this series. To make room, the Dodgers optioned catcher Hunter Feduccia, who was recalled in Houston due to Freddie Freeman being placed on the family emergency list.
On the eve of the trade deadline, the Dodgers traded for two bats, acquiring utilityman Amed Rosario and Tommy Edman. Rosario was added to the 26-man roster, and to make room on the roster, the Dodgers DFA’d left-handed pitcher Nick Ramirez and Gus Varland.
Tommy Edman, 29, is still on the 60-day injured list and will likely resume his rehab assignment with the Dodgers. He hopes to be activated in the next seven to ten days.
In the bullpen, right-handed flamethrower Michael Kopech, who made his Dodgers debut this past series against the Padres, pitching a scoreless frame with three punchouts, will also be active this series.
The Dodgers have multiple players on rehab assignment in the minor leagues, such as Brusdar Graterol, Ryan Brasier, and Michael Grove, who should all rejoin the team in the next few days/weeks.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts stated that Grove would likely be the first to return and stated he would carry on the same role of innings eater in the pen; however, Graterol, who has made a handful of appearances, is not far behind either.
The Dodgers will still be without shortstop Mookie Betts and third baseman Max Muncy, as each star is at a different stage of recovery from their injury.
Muncy, who has been on the shelf since mid-May, had a “breakthrough” after seeing a chiropractor, and Mookie Betts has begun swinging a bat and taking live batting practice and could rejoin the team in the next three weeks if all goes well.
The A’s traded a few players over the deadline, such as right-handed pitchers Lucas Erceg and Paul Blackburn, but they will also be without righty closer Mason Miller after fracturing his pinkie.
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