The Los Angeles Dodgers outlasted the Colorado Rockies in the series opener, and now press ahead at Coors Field without their most trusted relief pitcher. Kenley Jansen was officially placed on the 10-day disabled list Friday due to an irregular heartbeat.
The condition rendered him unavailable as Jansen was taken to the hospital and then boarded a flight to return to Los Angeles for a meeting with a cardiologist. The club has not confirmed, but reports suggest the All-Star closer will be sidelined for around one month.
Withstanding the loss of Jansen begins with Kenta Maeda, who could provide a significant boon for the pitching staff by turning in a strong outing.
Maeda is 1-1 with a 1.32 ERA and 21 strikeouts across 13.2 innings while holding batters to a .149 average over two starts against the Rockies this season; both outings came at Dodger Stadium. He’s a lifetime 4-1 with a 3.00 ERA in five games (four starts) at Coors Field.
Maeda will be backed by a Dodgers team that is 38-22 since the beginning of June, which is good for the National League’s best winning percentage (.633) during that span. Additionally, the Dodgers are 7-3 against the Rockies this season and dating back to 2017, have won six in a row in Denver.
They look to keep that streak alive against Jon Gray, who has been stellar since a demotion to Triple-A Albuquerque. In four starts during that time, the right-hander is 2-0 with a 1.52 ERA and held opponents to a .140/.196/.220 batting line.
Gray has yet to face the Dodgers this season but is a lifetime 3-3 with a 3.43 ERA in eight starts against them over his four-year career.
Dodgers lineup:
LF: Joc Pederson
3B: Justin Turner
C: Yasmani Grandal
2B: Brian Dozier
CF: Cody Bellinger
SS: Chris Taylor
1B: Max Muncy
RF: Yasiel Puig
P: Kenta Maeda
Rockies lineup:
CF: Charlie Blackmon
2B: DJ Lemahieu
RF: Carlos Gonzalez
3B: Nolan Arenadao
SS: Trevor Story
LF: David Dahl
1B: Ian Desmond
C: Chris Iannetta
P: Jon Gray
