The Los Angeles Dodgers have two games remaining on their 2022 Cactus League schedule before they break camp and return to Southern California for the annual exhibition Freeway Series against the L.A. Angels to conclude Spring Training.
The first is a matchup against the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium on Thursday, which sees Dodgers pitching prospect Ryan Pepiot make his second start of the spring.
After an off day on Friday, the Dodgers return to Camelback Ranch for their final Cactus League game against the San Francisco Giants. It will mark the teams’ first and only Spring Training meeting this year.
According to David Vassegh of AM 570 L.A. Sports, Clayton Kershaw is expected to take the mound for his final tuneup before the regular season:
Clayton Kershaw will start the finale of Cactus League schedule on Saturday. #Dodgers 🌵
— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) March 30, 2022
Kershaw is looking to build on an excellent outing against the Arizona Diamondbacks in which he allowed just one hit over four scoreless innings. The left-hander collected three strikeouts and faced the minimum before finishing his day by throwing roughly another inning’s worth in the bullpen.
Kershaw incorporated his curveball more and again mixed in a changeup he’s experimented with for several years. In three overall starts this spring, the 34-year-old has yielded three hits and three runs with seven strikeouts against two walks across 7.2 frames.
With Walker Buehler starting against the Colorado Rockies on Opening Day, Kershaw could follow him in the second game at Coors Field on six days’ rest. However, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has not yet announced the rotation order behind Buehler.
Buehler starting for Dodgers in Freeway Series opener vs. Angels
Before he takes the ball on Opening Day, Buehler is scheduled to start Sunday against the L.A. Angels in the opener of the exhibition Freeway Series at Angel Stadium.
The right-hander’s only spring outing thus far came March 22, when he surprisingly threw 52 pitches over 4.2 innings. Buehler, who has been slow to build up in years past, joked that was the most he’d ever thrown for an entire Spring Training period.
Although Buehler is going more than one week between starts, he did throw 74 pitches in a B game last Saturday.
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