Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers (17-6) salvaged the series in San Francisco yesterday, as Tyler Glasnow and Tanner Scott combined for a one-hitter for a 3-0 win. It was a rough road trip for the Dodgers, who went 3-4 in seven games against the Rockies and Giants. Today, they open up a six-game homestand against the Cubs (16-9). Chicago is tied with the Reds for first in the surprisingly-tough NL Central and come into this series on a nine-game winning streak. All of those wins came against the Phillies and Mets, who coming into today have combined for the same number of wins as the Dodgers this season, but still. They’re coming off a four-game sweep of the Phillies in Chicago, capped off by a walk-off win in extras yesterday. They’ve been successful despite Dansby Swanson and Alex Bregman having OPS’s in the low-.700s and Pete Crow-Armstrong continuing his rough 2025 second half with a .620 OPS (but everyone be nice to him so he doesn’t feel scared).
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| 7:15 P.M. | Los Angeles | ||
| 2B | Hoerner | DH | Ohtani (L) |
| 1B | Busch (L) | 1B | Freeman (L) |
| 3B | Bregman | C | Smith |
| LF | Happ (S) | RF | Tucker (L) |
| RF | Suzuki | LF | T. Hernández |
| DH | Ballesteros (L) | 3B | Muncy (L) |
| C | Kelly | CF | Pages |
| CF | Crow-Armstrong (L) | SS | Kim (L) |
| SS | Swanson | 2B | Freeland (S) |
| P | Taillon (R) | P | Sheehan (R) |
Emmet Sheehan makes his fifth start of the season today. It’s been a rough start for Sheehan, with a 5.85 ERA/5.15 FIP in 20 innings over his first four. Sheehan’s coming off a start in Colorado that looked like it was gonna be another rough one. He allowed a run in each of the first two innings and needed 36 pitches to get through those two, but settled down nicely to get through five with a 3-2 lead (that was promptly given up in the sixth by Will Klein). Sheehan had an uptick in his velocity two starts ago against the Rangers, averaging 95.2 MPH on the fastball. It came back down to 93.8 MPH in Colorado, which could be indicative of his issues maintaining velo through his starts or could just be that Coors Field is the worst place on earth.
Jameson Taillon gets his fifth start of the season and is coming off his best start against the Mets. Taillon allowed a run on five hits in six innings for his first win of the season against the Mets, but only struck out four and issued three walks. Taillon’s completed six innings in each of his three April starts, but he’s allowed six homers and 10 runs in those 18 innings. Taillon had a very weird start against the Pirates on April 12, where he allowed six runs and three homers but completed six innings and struck out 10 batters. Every earned run he’s allowed this season has been via homer, but he did allow an unearned run after a Swanson throwing error. Taillon’s spent his entire career in the NL Central and has only faced the Dodgers four times in his career, but hasn’t seen them since 2023. He has a 5.68 ERA in 19 career innings against the Dodgers with 12 runs and 23 hits allowed. He’s only pitched at Dodger Stadium once and tossed five shutout innings with two hits allowed and seven strikeouts.
Taillon mostly throws a five-pitch mix leading with a fastball (28.9 percent). He only averages 91.4 MPH on the fastball, but it has a 20 percent whiff rate this season. He also throws a cutter (25.7 percent), sweeper (13.5 percent), change (13 percent), curve (12.4 percent) and a sinker (6.5 percent). All those pitches besides the sinker have a whiff rate over 20 percent.
More of the new norm for the Dodgers, with Kyle Tucker hitting cleanup against his former team and Freddie Freeman hitting second. Old friend Michael Conforto isn’t in the lineup for the Cubs, but got his World Series ring pregame.
Michael Conforto presented his World Series ring. #Dodgers #Cubs pic.twitter.com/EzFXRSZj1S
— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) April 24, 2026
Fellow old friend Michael Busch is in the lineup, but he’s had a rough start to the season. Matt Shaw isn’t in the lineup, I assume because he’s attending some sort of rally.
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Mookie Betts could be starting a rehab assignment next weekend.
Dave Roberts said he could see Mookie Betts going on a rehab assignment next weekend, or early in the following week. Roberts said Betts doesn't feel the oblique while swinging, but he did feel it a bit while running a few days ago. Overall, Roberts is encouraged by his progress.
— Sonja Chen (@SonjaMChen) April 24, 2026
He reportedly still felt a bit of discomfort while running, but has been fine while swinging.
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Blake Snell only made it through one inning in his first rehab start, and they’re looking to get him through three next time out.
#Dodgers injury updates: Mookie Betts (oblique) is taking coach BP in the batting cages. Slowly progressing towards a rehab assignment
— Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) April 25, 2026
Blake Snell (shoulder) is slated for 3 innings in his second rehab start, early next week likely w/ Ontatio.
Ontario will be at home next week, and Snell will likely make his next rehab start there against the Padres’ Single-A squad.
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First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 PM PT and will be a exclusively on Apple.
