Preview: Max Muncy Starts At 2nd Base, Adrian Beltre Returns As Dodgers Begin Interleague Series With Rangers
Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

After an impressive showing against the Atlanta Braves over the weekend, the Los Angeles Dodgers continue their homestand with an Interleague matchup against the Texas Rangers.

The Dodgers are just 1-1 against American League teams this season, having previously split a series with the Oakland Athletics at the beginning of April.

With injuries piling up in the starting rotation, 21-year-old Caleb Ferguson makes his second career start for the Dodgers.

Ferguson’s start last week against the Pittsburgh Pirates did not exactly go as planned as he gave up four runs in just 1.2 innings, allowing two hits and three walks while striking out three.

He was demoted back to Triple-A Oklahoma City after that outing, although with all the injuries in the starting rotation, he was called back up. The corresponding move to get him back on the active roster was placing Walker Buehler on the 10-day disabled list.

Ferguson’s Minor League numbers between Double-A Tulsa and Oklahoma City are much better than how his MLB debut went. In 10 combined starts between the two levels, he has gone 3-0 with a 1.53 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with 52 strikeouts and 17 walks in 47 innings.

Also of note for the Dodgers is Max Muncy making his first start for the team at second base. Muncy last played the position in the Majors for the Athletics in 2016. Muncy’s bat has kept him in the lineup, as he enters play hitting .272/.395/.616 with 12 home runs and 28 RBI.

Muncy and the Dodgers face Bartolo Colon, who’s in the midst of his 21st season at the Major League level. He enters with a 4.16 ERA, 5.26 FIP and 1.07 WHIP across 71.1 innings pitched (13 games), having accumulated 45 strikeouts to 10 walks.

In his career against the Dodgers, Colon owns a lifetime 5.28 ERA and 1.35 WHIP over 61.1 innings (10 starts) with 36 strikeouts to nine walks. At Dodger Stadium, he has put up a 5.97 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 28.2 innings over five games.

With the Rangers in town it means a return to Chavez Ravine for Adrian Beltre. He hit .274/.332/.463 with 176 doubles, 147 home runs and 510 RBI over seven seasons with the Dodgers.

Rangers lineup:

LF: Shin-Soo Choo
CF: Delino Deshields
RF: Nomar Mazara
3B: Adrian Beltre
SS: Jurickson Profar
1B: Joey Gallo 1B
C: Robinson Chirinos
2B: Rougned Odor
P: Bartolo Colon

Dodgers:

SS: Chris Taylor
2B: Max Muncy
3B: Justin Turner
LF: Matt Kemp
1B: Cody Bellinger
C: Yasmani Grandal
RF: Yasiel Puig
CF: Joc Pederson
P: Caleb Ferguson

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