The Los Angeles Dodgers wrapped up Cactus League play with a loss to the Kansas City Royals on Saturday and they now are back home for their annual exhibition Freeway Series with the Los Angeles Angels.
The first of the three games takes place at Dodger Stadium, marking the first game at Chavez Ravine of 2023, before the two teams head over to Anaheim for the remaining two matchups of the series.
Clayton Kershaw is on the mound for his final tuneup of the spring and he is looking to build some momentum after mixed results so far. During Cactus League play, Kershaw pitched to a 5.11 ERA with nine strikeouts and a 1.30 WHIP across 12.1 innings.
There shouldn’t be any real concern for Kershaw’s poor spring. Last year, he posted a 3.09 ERA in his four Cactus League starts, in 2021 his ERA was north of 10, and his National League MVP season of 2014 saw him pitch to an ERA of 9.20 in Spring Training.
After this outing, Kershaw will turn his attention to the Arizona Diamondbacks when he makes his first regular season start of 2023 on Saturday, April 1. The 35-year-old is coming off a resurgent 2022 season where he pitched to a 2.28 ERA in 126.1 innings.
Also scheduled to pitch for the Dodgers are Brusdar Graterol, Yency Almonte, Phil Bickford and Shelby Miller. All four of them are expected to be on the Opening Day roster once it is officially set.
The Angels counter with a southpaw of their own in Tucker Davidson, who they acquired from the Atlanta Braves last season as part of a salary dump with closer Raisel Iglesias.
Davidson owns a 5.54 ERA and 1.31 WHIP with 19 strikeouts in 13 innings this spring following a rough 2022 season where his ERA was just a tick below seven. He was competing for a spot in the Angels rotation, but he projects as more of a depth option for the Halos.
The Dodgers lineup consists of most of their regulars with the exception of Austin Barnes in for Will Smith. It also gives a hint into how they may utilize their outfielders against left-handed pitchers this season with Chris Taylor in left field and Trayce Thompson in center.
Dodgers lineup
RF: Mookie Betts
1B: Freddie Freeman
DH: J.D. Martinez
3B: Max Muncy
LF: Chris Taylor
CF: Trayce Thompson
2B: Miguel Vargas
SS: Miguel Rojas
C: Austin Barnes
Angels lineup
LF: Taylor Ward
CF: Mike Trout
DH: Shohei Ohtani
1B: Brandon Drury
RF: Hunter Renfroe
2B: Luis Rengifo
SS: Gio Urshela
C: Logan O’Hoppe
3B: Jeremiah Jackson
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
