The Los Angeles Dodgers are looking to rebound from a poor performance on Friday night with a Jackie Robinson Day matchup against the Chicago Cubs.
As is tradition for the April 15 date, all players, managers and coaches will wear Robinson’s No. 42 in Dodger Blue, regardless of their primary team colors. Additionally, all uniformed personnel and umpires will have New Era caps with a 42 side patch.
Before the game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts gathered the team, front office members and other personnel in front of the Jackie Robinson statue in the center field plaza of Dodger Stadium for the third consecutive season to reflect on the Hall of Famer’s impact.
Jason Heyward, who helped the Cubs win the 2016 World Series, addressed both teams at the statue.
Following the celebration of Robinson, Michael Grove will take the mound in his third start of the season. The right-hander is coming off a poor performance where he allowed nine earned runs on 12 hits over 3.1 innings.
Grove was more effective in his first start, throwing four innings and giving up three runs, but overall he holds a 14.73 ERA with a 2.32 WHIP and eight strikeouts in 7.1 innings. He has a career 6.63 ERA in 36.2 innings with a 1.61 WHIP since his debut last season.
The Cubs counter with Jameson Taillon, who has struggled as well in his first two starts. The right-hander has pitched to a 7.00 ERA with a 1.67 WHIP across nine innings, and during his last outing, he allowed four earned runs in five innings.
Once a promising pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates after being selected second overall in the 2010 MLB Draft, Taillon has had a somewhat up-and-down career, which included the 31-year-old undergoing surgery in 2017 due to cancer. The Cubs bet on him this offseason with a four-year deal worth $68m million.
The Dodgers will again be without Will Smith, who is battling an illness. Smith was unavailable on Friday, but Roberts was hopeful of getting him back in the lineup for Saturday’s game.
Max Muncy is the team’s emergency catcher.
Heyward is in the lineup facing his former team for the first time since being released at the end of the 2022 season. He previously signed an eight-year, $184 million deal with the Cubs in 2016.
Dodgers lineup
RF: Mookie Betts
1B: Freddie Freeman
3B: Max Muncy
DH: J.D. Martinez
LF: James Outman
2B: Miguel Vargas
CF: Jason Heyward
SS: Miguel Rojas
C: Austin Barnes
Cubs lineup
2B: Nico Hoerner
SS: Dansby Swanson
LF: Ian Happ
RF: Seiya Suzuki
CF: Cody Bellinger
1B: Trey Mancini
DH: Eric Hosmer
3B: Patrick Wisdom
C: Tucker Barnhart
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