Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
Today’s lineup was posted before I even got out of bed, and I’m on the East Coast. This is early. This is really, really early for weekday baseball.
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Dodgers
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Braves
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9:10 a.m. PT
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Atlanta, Ga.
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2B
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Gordon
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RF
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Heyward
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CF
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Puig
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CF
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Bonifacio
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1B
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Gonzalez
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1B
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Freeman
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RF
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Kemp
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LF
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J.Upton
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LF
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Ethier
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3B
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Johnson
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3B
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Uribe
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2B
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La Stella
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SS
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Rojas
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SS
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Simmons
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C
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Butera
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C
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Laird
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P
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Hernandez (R)
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P
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Harang (R)
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Unsurprisingly, there’s not a ton of news coming out of the Dodgers so far today, because it’s not even 9 a.m. Pacific as I write this. We’re hearing, unsurprisingly, that Hyun-jin Ryu is very questionable to make his next start after leaving last night’s game early. Dylan Hernandez reports that he saw Ryu “limping” in the clubhouse, and Don Mattingly didn’t really sound all that optimistic about Ryu taking his turn. As I noted last night, the Dodgers have three August days off coming up, and they can really put them to good use in ordering their rotation. There’s really not a need to rush Ryu here.
In the meantime, there’s still one more game to play in Atlanta before heading back home to face the Brewers, and new friend Roberto Hernandez against old friend Aaron Harang may just be the least interesting pitching matchup I can think of. It’s not that they haven’t pitched well — Hernandez was of course very good in his debut, and Harang has been shockingly effective all season — it’s just when you think of retread over-30 righties who don’t bring a lot of excitement to the table, well, yep.
New ESPN columnist A.J. Ellis gets a day off, as does Evan Gattis behind the plate on the other side, as expected for a day game after a night game. It shouldn’t be notable to have to point out that Andre Ethier gets a start, but it is, so I am. Otherwise, the lineup is more or less the usual. I wonder if these teams will sleepwalk through this game. I kind of feel like I might sleepwalk through watching it.
The game will be on MLB Network for those of you outside the LA and Atlanta viewing areas. Considering how few people can watch SNLA broadcasts as it is, I wonder what the numbers will be like for a 9 a.m. local Thursday game against a mediocre Atlanta team. Sheesh.
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