After dropping the Freeway Series opener, the Los Angeles Dodgers look to get back in the win column as they face the L.A. Angels at Dodger Stadium. The three-game exhibition series concludes Tuesday night, also at Chavez Ravine.
Julio Urias takes the mound Monday for his final spring outing. The tuneup will give way to Urias facing the Colorado Rockies next week in the finale of the four-game Opening Series at Coors Field.
Urias is 2-1 with a 1.74 ERA in six Cactus League starts. He used the outings to further refine a slurve that was debuted last year as a pitch to replace a traditional curveball.
Jimmy Nelson, Kenley Jansen, Scott Alexander and Corey Knebel are also scheduled to appear against the Angels. For Knebel, it will mark his first time pitching since being hit by a line-drive comeback last week.
“It was a love handle contusion, is what I got from the training staff,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
“As I understand it right now, it was best-case scenario when you’re talking about a line drive off the body. I think he played catch today, so he will pitch in a game, if all goes well, in the Freeway Series. I think it will be either Sunday or Monday, is my guess.”
The Dodgers face Shohei Ohtani both on the mound and in the batter’s box. It marks the second time this spring he is batting and pitching in the same game.
Ohtani is 0-2 and sports an inflated 7.88 ERA that is a byproduct of allowing five runs to Chicago White Sox on March 13. The right-hander otherwise allowed one run in each of his other two starts this spring. Ohtani recorded at least four strikeouts in all three starts.
With the bat he’s 16-for-28 with five home runs and eight RBI.
Despite being in a National League ballpark, the Dodgers are still utilizing a designated hitter and having Corey Seager do so. That gives Chris Taylor an opportunity to start at shortstop, where he will spell Seager on occasion throughout the regular season.
Dodgers lineup
RF: Mookie Betts
DH: Corey Seager
3B: Justin Turner
CF: Cody Bellinger
LF: AJ Pollock
1B: Max Muncy
C: Will Smith
SS: Chris Taylor
2B: Gavin Lux
Angels lineup
2B: David Fletcher
P: Shohei Ohtani
CF: Mike Trout
3B: Anthony Rendon
LF: Justin Upton
1B: Albert Pujols
SS: Jose Iglesias
C: Kurt Suzuki
RF: Dexter Fowler
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