Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers are looking to finish a series sweep against the reeling Mets this afternoon.
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Dodgers
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Mets
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10:10 AM
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Queens
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SS
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Hernández |
LF
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Nimmo | |
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3B
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Muncy |
3B
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Frazier | |
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LF
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Kemp |
2B
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Cabrera | |
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1B
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Bellinger |
1B
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Flores | |
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RF
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Puig |
RF
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Bautista | |
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2B
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Forsythe |
LF
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Smith | |
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CF
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Pederson | C | Plawecki | |
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C
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Barnes |
SS
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Reyes | |
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P
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Hill (L)
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P
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Blevins (L)
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Rich Hill is starting, and he is trying to build upon his only good outing of the year, his first back from the disabled list. On Tuesday he looked more or less like the Rich Hill of old for the first time in 2018, something which the Dodgers were sorely missing. It’s too late to sound the “all clear” on his blister issues, of course, but a healthy and effective Hill would be a tremendous addition to this team, which still needs some help with its starting pitching despite the recent success.
Jason Vargas was scheduled to take the ball for the Mets this afternoon, but he was placed on the disabled list right before the game. Jerry Blevins will make a spot start instead. This is the first start of Blevins’ major league career, so this is more or less a bullpen game for the Mets. Blevins’ longest outing of the season before today was 1-2/3 innings, and he is pitching on one day of rest so it’s not really fair to expect a long outing out of him.
Callaway said they don’t really have a set plan for Jerry Blevins for now, noted that he’s not really stretched out but said that if he gets through the first quickly on a short pitch count he could get an appearance in the second.
— Lindsey Adler (@lindseyadler) June 24, 2018
The Mets are carrying eight relievers right now, so expect to see almost all of them.
Chris Taylor is still out of the lineup with a hamstring problem, which places him in position to miss most of this series except for his two-run double last night. That’s not great for what was supposed to be a short-term injury. Enrique Hernandez will start at short instead, leading off because Blevins is left-handed. Justin Turner is sitting as well, continuing his pace of resting his wrist once or twice a week. Yasmani Grandal is getting the day off as well.
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This is good news on Walker Buehler:
Walker Buehler is testing his rib throwing in the bullpen.
— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) June 24, 2018
The Dodgers were probably going to shut down Buehler at some point mid-season to limit his innings, but obviously they would have preferred a different method. With Alex Wood and Kenta Maeda still not appearing to be pitching with 100% health, one has to wonder if Buehler’s return could result in more rest for one of those two.
