After being unable to carryover any momentum from snapping a three-game losing streak, the Los Angeles Dodgers now look to bounce back against the Milwaukee Brewers to avoid dropping consecutive games on their road trip.
They do so with Edwin Uceta on the mound for his MLB debut in what’s going to be a bullpen game for the Dodgers. Uceta was recalled Thursday as the corresponding move to Brusdar Graterol going on the 10-day injured list due to right forearm tightness.
Graterol has remained with the Dodgers and is going to receive treatment while also refraining from doing any sort of throwing. The team is hopeful that will allow the discomfort to subside and not necessarily require an MRI.
As for Uceta, the hope is he can complete multiple innings. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts also mentioned Jimmy Nelson and Mitch White as options to go one-plus as well, along with potentially Garrett Cleavinger who avoided serious injury despite being hit by a line-drive comebacker.
Uceta began his professional career with the Dominican Summer League Dodgers in 2016, and joined Rookie level Ogden the following year.
The 22-year-old previously reached as high as Double-A Tulsa, where he finished the 2019 season after starting with High-A Rancho Cucamonga. Uceta went a combined 11-2 with a 2.77 ERA in 26 games (24 starts) that season.
Freddy Peralta takes the mound for the Brewers in his fifth start (sixth game) this season. The right-hander is 2-0 with a 2.54 ERA and 41.8% strikeout rate that ranks in the top five in baseball.
“He’s got a good heater,” Matt Beaty said of Peralta. “I faced him a couple times in Triple-A and I remember he’s got a really good fastball. I think we’ve got a really good fastball-hitting team, so he’s obviously going to try to keep us off balance a little bit with his offspeed pitches.
“For me at least, it’s going to be going up there and attacking something in the zone hard and being ready to hit.”
Beaty is among four left-handed batters in the Dodgers lineup. That group also includes Gavin Lux, who is enjoying a homecoming. “I love it. I always want to say Miller Park. I love this place,” Lux said of American Family Field.
“I feel like it always has good vibes, good energy and the fans are great. It’s pretty cool coming back here and playing. I know the ball flies here, so I’m happier being a position player instead of a pitcher coming here. Overall, I really like the field a lot.”
Lux did not play in Thursday’s series opener, but had roughly 20 family and friends in attendance.
Dodgers lineup
CF: Chris Taylor
SS: Corey Seager
3B: Justin Turner
1B: Max Muncy
C: Will Smith
LF: AJ Pollock
RF: Matt Beaty
2B: Gavin Lux
P: Edwin Uceta
Brewers lineup
2B: Kolten Wong
1B: Daniel Vogelbach
C: Omar Narvaez
RF: Avisail Garcia
3B: Travis Shaw
CF: Jackie Bradley Jr.
SS: Luis Urias
LF: Billy McKinney
P: Freddy Peralta
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