The Los Angeles Dodgers face division rival San Diego Padres for the first time in 2022 Spring Training after blowing a three-run lead in the ninth inning on Thursday which led to their third tie in Cactus League play.
The game is also their first night matchup of the year, with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m. PT instead of their usual 1:05 p.m. start time.
Julio Urias starts for L.A. in his first appearance of 2022, fresh off a breakout season in 2021 and a new contract to avoid arbitration.
Urias posted a 2.96 ERA, 3.13 FIP and 1.02 WHIP across 32 starts in his first full season being a permanent member of the Dodgers’ rotation. He was the Majors’ only 20-game winner last year and logged a career-high 185.2 innings while winning the 2021 Warren Spahn Award.
Mookie Betts is in the Dodgers lineup for what’s his spring debut as well. He was previously expected to be in the lineup on Wednesday and Thursday but that had to be delayed due to a stomach bug.
Betts is coming off an injury-riddled season where he had lower back trouble and a bone spur in his right hip that required cortisone injections and multiple stints on the 10-day injured list. However, the 29-year-old recently said he is fully recovered from the injuries.
Betts was limited to 122 games last season while playing through pain and hit .264/.367/.487 with 23 home runs, a 131 wRC+ and 3.9 WAR, which is still a quality campaign but a step below his usual production.
The Padres send Nick Martinez to the mound, a 31-year-old right-hander they signed to a four-year contract this offseason after he spent the past four seasons in Japan, including three in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Martinez last appeared in the Majors in 2017 with the Texas Rangers when he threw 111.1 innings with a 5.66 ERA and 5.80 FIP. He holds a career 4.77 ERA and 5.36 FIP in 415.1 innings in parts of four seasons with the Rangers.
In the last four seasons in NPB, Martinez threw 378.1 innings with a 3.02 ERA.
The game will also feature Adrian Gonzalez making his debut on SportsNet L.A. Gonzalez will be in the Spectrum studio and serve as an analyst for the matchup.
The timing is fitting as Gonzalez rose to prominence with the Padres from 2006-2010, when he was a three-time All-Star, two-time Gold Glove Award winner and received National League MVP votes in four separate seasons — including a fourth-place finish in 2010.
Dodgers lineup
RF: Mookie Betts
1B: Freddie Freeman
SS: Trea Turner
3B: Max Muncy
C: Will Smith
DH: Justin Turner
CF: Cody Bellinger
LF: AJ Pollock
2B: Gavin Lux
Padres lineup
CF: Trent Grisham
C: Austin Nola
2B: Jake Cronenworth
1B: Luke Voit
RF: Wil Myers
DH: Jorge Alfaro
SS: Ha-Seong Kim
LF: Trayce Thompson
3B: Eguy Rosario
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