The Los Angeles Dodgers close out their series against the Cleveland Guardians with a rubber match that features an intriguing pitching matchup.
Andrew Heaney returns to the mound for his third start of the season after missing 63 days due to left shoulder discomfort. Reyes Moronta was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City as the corresponding roster move.
Heaney has spent the past six weeks building his arm strength back up and went on multiple rehab outings, so Dodgers manager Dave Roberts doesn’t expect there to be many limitations.
“He’s six (innings) and 90 (pitches), so it’s kind of a full outing for him,” Roberts said about Heaney’s expected workload.
Although Heaney owns a career 4.65 ERA and 4.40 FIP across 644.2 innings while coming off arguably his worst season, the Dodgers had high hopes for the 31-year-old with the belief they could help maximize his potential.
Before the injury, Heaney showed off some of the traits that made him so intriguing to the organization by striking out 40% of hitters and walking just 7.5%. The southpaw also pitched 10.1 innings allowing no earned runs in his two outings, so the Dodgers will hope he can continue to build on that success.
The Guardians counter with their ace, Shane Bieber, who won the 2020 American League Cy Young Award and pitching triple crown.
While Bieber has not had that same level of dominance shown that season, he has continued to pitch at a high level. In 71.2 innings this season, the two-time All-Star holds a 3.01 ERA and 2.71 FIP while striking out 25.8% of hitters and walking 5.8%.
The right-hander has given up his fair share of quality contact this season despite his positive results. Bieber ranks in the 27th percentile of average exit velocity allowed, the 33rd percentile of hard hit rate, and the 28th percentile at preventing barrels, so the Dodgers will look to take advantage of that.
However, the Dodgers offense, which has already been struggling recently, will be without Mookie Betts as he on the 10-day IL with a rib fracture. Betts sustained the injury as a result of colliding with Cody Bellinger in the first inning of Wednesday’s game.
Without Betts, there is a lot of extra pressure on a lineup that is hitting just .234/.301/.385 in June, but the 2018 AL MVP does share some of the blame for the lack of production as he was batting .193/.207/.316 over the month.
Fortunately for the Dodgers, the Guardians have not performed much better offensively this month, batting .253/.303/.367 and scoring a combined three runs in the first two games of the series.
Dodgers lineup
SS: Trea Turner
1B: Freddie Freeman
C: Will Smith
3B: Max Muncy
LF: Chris Taylor
CF: Cody Bellinger
DH: Justin Turner
RF: Eddy Alvarez
2B: Gavin Lux
Guardians lineup
CF: Myles Straw
SS: Ahmed Rosario
1B: Owen Miller
RF: Oscar Gonzalez
DH: Josh Naylor
LF: Oscar Mercado
2B: Andrés Giménez
3B: Ernie Clement
C: Austin Hedges
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