After rain shortened their game to less than three innings on Thursday, the Los Angeles Dodgers return to the field with a matchup against the Cincinnati Reds at Camelback Ranch.
With their season opener quickly approaching in South Korea, the Dodgers decided to make a significant change in their lineup starting today. Mookie Betts is at shortstop while Gavin Lux is playing second base.
The decision to switch the players will be the plan moving forward and into the season. It’s unclear if Lux will be able to re-take the spot at shortstop this year, but that may be unlikely at this point.
Outside of that switch, the Dodgers are going with most of their regulars in their lineup, aside from Will Smith and James Outman. Austin Barnes and Will Smith are starting in place of them respectively.
Justin Wilson makes the start for the Dodgers as the opener rather than a traditional starter. Ryan Yarbrough is expected to follow him and pitch the bulk of the innings.
Although Yarbrough may have been an option to make the Dodgers’ rotation as the fifth starter, they feel the best course of action is to utilize him in a swing man role, so he is getting some extra work today in a long-relief role..
Other pitchers scheduled to throw are Evan Phillips, J.P. Feyereisen, Blake Treinen and Gus Varland.
The Reds give the ball to Nick Martinez, who spent last season with the San Diego Padres while posting a 3.43 ERA across 110.1 innings with 106 strikeouts and a 1.26 WHIP.
So far this spring, he’s thrown five innings without allowing a run while striking out seven hitters.
Dodgers lineup
SS: Mookie Betts
DH: Shohei Ohtani
1B: Freddie Freeman
LF: Teoscar Hernández
3B: Max Muncy
RF: Jason Heyward
CF: Chris Taylor
2B: Gavin Lux
C: Austin Barnes
Reds lineup
1B: Jonathan India
SS: Elly De La Cruz
CF: Will Benson
3B: Christian Encarnacion-Strand
C: Tyler Stephenson
RF: Stuart Fairchild
DH: Mike Ford
2B: Josh Harrison
LF: Bubba Thompson
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