The Los Angeles Dodgers were able to avoid being swept by the San Francisco Giants, ended their road trip on a positive note, and now begin a 10-game homestand.
It opens with a matchup against former Dodgers manager Don Mattingly and his Miami Marlins team in a four-game series. The Dodgers offense may receive a boost Thursday night, as Adrian Gonzalez was reinstated from the disabled list.
He starts at first base and bats sixth. Gonzalez got off to a slow start to the season, hitting .255/.327/.309 without a home run in 29 games. Back and elbow injuries landed him on the DL for the first time in his 14-year career.
Gonzalez joined High-A Rancho Cucamonga on a short rehab assignment — two games — prior to returning to the Dodgers. Los Angeles went 8-4 in his absence; one game was postponed to September.
Hyun-Jin Ryu gets the ball for his second start since coming off the disabled list. Ryu struggled in his previous outing, getting roughed up by the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field to the tune of 10 runs (five earned) on eight hits in just four innings.
Overall on the season, Ryu is 1-5 with a 4.99 ERA, 5.09 FIP and 1.60 WHIP in six starts. He has struck out 33 and walked 14 in 30.2 innings of work. Ryu has yielded a 2.57 ERA in two career starts against Miami.
Opposing Ryu is former Dodger Edinson Volquez. The right-hander, who signed a two-year deal with the Marlins during the offseason, has gotten off to a bit of a rough start as he’s winless in seven outings, at 0-5.
In 34.2 innings pitched, Volquez has a 4.41 ERA, 4.57 FIP and 1.67 WHIP with 37 strikeouts compared to 24 walks. The 13-year veteran has a 4.29 ERA in nine career starts against Los Angeles.
Gonzalez is one of a few Dodgers who has seen success off Volquez. In 16 career at-bats against the righty, Gonzalez has six hits (.375 batting average) with two home runs. Justin Turner, who is batting third in Dave Roberts’ lineup, is 6-for-12 with a home run off Volquez.
After batting .404 in 24 games during the month of April, Turner has cooled off a bit. Though, he’s still batting .313/.414/.354 thus far in May.
In addition to Mattingly, former Dodgers Dee Gordon and A.J. Ellis return to Dodger Stadium. The speedy Gordon is doing his part on the base paths this season, as he has stolen 12 bases in 14 attempts.
But Gordon has struggled some with the bat, hitting just .250/.304/.308 with 19 runs scored. The Marlins have lost three straight games and eight of their last nine.
Miami swept a four-game set at Dodger Stadium last season, but it was soured amid news of Gordon’s PED suspension that was announced immediately after the series concluded.
Dodgers lineup:
2B: Chase Utley
SS: Corey Seager
3B: Justin Turner
LF: Cody Bellinger
C: Yasmani Grandal
1B: Adrian Gonzalez
CF: Joc Pederson
RF: Yasiel Puig
P: Hyun-Jin Ryu
Marlins lineup:
2B: Dee Gordon
CF: Christian Yelich
LF: Marcell Ozuna
RF: Giancarlo Stanton
1B: Justin Bour
C: J.T. Realmuto
3B: Christian Colon
SS: J.T. Riddle
P: Edinson Volquez
