Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers had a rough day all around yesterday, ending in a 6-4 loss for their first losing streak of the season. Dustin May had a weird start that was mostly good, but he was hurt by errors by the middle of the infield. May got 11 swinging strikes in his season debut against Atlanta, but only recorded three against the Nationals and only struck out one against the team that had the highest strikeout rate entering the game. Anthony Banda also turned in one of his worst outings as a Dodger, allowing two runs and three hits while only recording one out. The Dodgers did crawl back to make it a two-run game in the eighth, but failed to get the big hit in the ninth and now find themselves in third place in the West. Today, the Dodgers look to avoid a three-game losing streak.
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| 3:45 P.M. | Washington D.C. | ||
| DH | Ohtani (L) | LF | Call |
| SS | Betts | DH | Wood (L) |
| 2B | Edman (S) | C | Ruiz (S) |
| RF | T. Hernández | 1B | Lowe (L) |
| LF | Conforto (L) | 3B | Rosario |
| 1B | K. Hernández | 2B | Garcia Jr. (L) |
| 3B | Muncy (L) | SS | DeJong |
| CF | Pages | RF | Crews |
| C | Barnes | CF | Young |
| P | Wrobleski (L) | P | Lord (R) |
It took the Dodgers like 11 days to need to rely on minor league call-ups in back-to-back starts. Justin Wrobleski gets the start today after Blake Snell was placed on the IL on Sunday with shoulder inflammation. Wrobleski made six starts and eight appearances overall last season in the Majors and struggled a bit with a 5.70 ERA/6.36 FIP in 36 1/3 innings. He first came up in July and made four starts. He averaged five innings per start which was really all the Dodgers needed last summer, but allowed nine runs and four homers in those starts. He was sent down and returned in mid-August, when he earned his first Major League win allowing four runs (three homers) in five innings in St. Louis. He was sent back down and returned in September for an absolutely disastrous start in Arizona. Wrobleski allowed eight runs and seven hits in the second inning of that start, but wore it and got through 5 1/3 to save the bullpen. He ended up allowing 10 runs which sort of destroyed his overall ERA. Wrobleski made two more appearances out of the bullpen in September and was great, combining to throw six scoreless innings and recording a four-inning save in Colorado. Wrobleski started in OKC last Monday and threw 5 2/3 shutout innings, allowing only three hits but recording only three strikeouts.
The Nationals are essentially going with a bullpen game today, with Brad Lord making his first career start. Lord posted a 2.43 ERA in 25 starts across three minor league levels last season but made the Opening Day roster as a reliever. He’s pitched in three games in relief and started the season with an infinite ERA, allowing a run without recording an out on March 31 against the Phillies. Lord threw in two of their games in Toronto last week, allowing two hits and one unearned run. He’s maxed out at 20 pitches in an outing this season but threw as many as 96 in the minors last season, so who knows what he’s built up for right now.
Andy Pages returns to center field which will surely make the masses happy. Austin Barnes gets the start behind the plate.
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Matt Sauer was sent back to AAA to make room for Wrobleski.
Sauer allowed a run and recorded the last five outs of the game for the Dodgers yesterday.
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Some pitching updates regarding Snell and tomorrow’s starter, Landon Knack.
Landon Knack will start tomorrow's finale vs. the Nationals, Dave Roberts said.
— Sonja Chen (@SonjaMChen) April 8, 2025
He also left open the possibility that Justin Wrobleski could stay in the rotation beyond tonight's start, as long as Blake Snell sidelined. But that's still TBD.
Blake Snell (left shoulder inflammation) will be shut down from throwing until Monday, Dave Roberts said. There's no planned medical intervention, just rest.
— Sonja Chen (@SonjaMChen) April 8, 2025
It was assumed as Knack joined the team in D.C. yesterday, but he’ll officially start the finale tomorrow. Wrobleski might not necessarily be the roster move for Knack, as he may remain in the rotation in Snell’s absence. Snell won’t be throwing until Monday.
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First pitch is scheduled for 3:45 PM PT and will be shown on SportsNet LA.
