Giants @ Dodgers April 17, 2016: Kenta Maeda’s first look at the Giants

The rubber game of this 3-game series is on ESPN for everyone to enjoy (even those of you in the greater Los Angeles area). Jeff Samardzija takes on Kenta Maeda.

Giants
Dodgers
5:05 p.m. PT
Los Angeles
CF
Span
2B
Utley
2B
Panik
SS
Seager
C
Posey
3B
Turner
RF
Pence
1B
Gonzalez
1B
Belt
RF
Puig
3B
Duffy
C
Grandal
SS
Crawford
LF
Kendrick
P
Samardzija
(R)
CF
Pederson
LF
Pagan
P
Maeda
(R)

This is Maeda’s first look at the Giants in his still-brief MLB career, and so far, he has been as good (or even a bit better) as advertised. He has gone six innings in both of his starts and has allowed no runs. He also owns an 8:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 2.30 FIP. It’s extremely early, but this is encouraging. He’ll face his toughest test to date against the contact-happy Giants.

Howie Kendrick is back in left field. This is going to be a regular thing until either he or Chase Utley begin to struggle. Yasmani Grandal is catching back-to-back games for the first time this season and will catch at least the first game of the Atlanta series on Tuesday.

And some news about players on the mend…

This is contrary to the previous belief that Scott Van Slyke be ready to come off the disabled list in 15 days. Here’s hoping he gets healthy and back with the Dodgers soon.

The Carlos Frias news isn’t surprising, seeing as Mike Bolsinger suffered the same injury. They’re basically on the same timeline, just a couple weeks off-set. And who knows about Brandon Beachy and his elbow.

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About Dustin Nosler

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Dustin Nosler began writing about the Dodgers in July 2009 at his blog, Feelin' Kinda Blue. He co-hosted a weekly podcast with Jared Massey called Dugout Blues. He was a contributor/editor at The Hardball Times and True Blue LA. He graduated from California State University, Sacramento, with his bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in digital media. While at CSUS, he worked for the student-run newspaper The State Hornet for three years, culminating with a 1-year term as editor-in-chief. He resides in Stockton, Calif.