After getting off to a good start this spring, defeating the Chicago White Sox 13-5 in the Cactus League opener, the Los Angeles Dodgers bats have cooled down significantly, resulting in three straight losses over the weekend.
Results aren’t the most important thing during Spring Training though, as players are just getting back into the swing of things. The Dodgers return to the field Monday afternoon as they travel to Surprise to take on the Texas Rangers.
Alex Wood is making his first start of the spring, and will likely throw just one or two innings. Wood was slowed down a bit at the beginning of the spring due to an ankle injury, although he is 100 percent now.
Wood is looking to build off of his breakout 2017 season in which he went 16-3, yielding a 2.72 ERA, 3.32 FIP and 1.06 WHIP. He struck out 151 and walked 38 in 152.1 innings over 27 games (25 starts).
The Rangers also send a southpaw to the mound in Mike Minor, who they signed to a three-year, $28 million deal this past offseason. Minor posted a 2.55 ERA, 2.62 FIP and 1.02 WHIP while striking out 88 and walking 22 in 65 appearances (77.2 innings) with the Kansas City Royals in 2017.
Despite serving as a reliever with Kansas City, Texas plans to convert him back to his more conventional starter role.
Switch-pitcher Pat Venditte is expected to make his second appearance of the spring in relief of Wood, while Adam Liberatore and Yimi Garcia are also both on the lineup card to pitch.
Dodgers lineup:
SS: Chris Taylor
1B: Cody Bellinger
RF: Yasiel Puig
2B: Kiké Hernandez
DH: Austin Barnes
C: Kyle Farmer
LF: Trayce Thompson
3B: Jake Peter
CF: Henry Ramos
Rangers lineup:
CF: Delino DeShields
DH: Shin-Soo Choo
SS: Jurickson Profar
RF: Nomar Mazara
1B: Ronald Guzman
3B: Trevor Plouffe
LF: Ryan Rua
2B: Darwin Barney
C: Juan Centeno
