With the Los Angeles Dodgers are back at Camelback Ranch, Tony Cingrani and Kenley Jansen are due to make their respective 2018 Cactus League debuts against the Kansas City Royals. The relievers have been among the players the Dodgers have methodically mapped out a plan for this spring.
Cingrani and Jansen each pitched in a “B” game on Monday, which the Dodgers closer said included him ironing out minor mechanical issues as he does every spring. The relievers are among those who will follow Kenta Maeda, who makes his third start of the spring.
Maeda was strong in his previous outing, allowing just two hits and one run, and collecting three strikeouts over 2.1 innings of work against the San Francisco Giants. Thus far, Maeda is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA and 0.69 ERA over 4.1 innings.
The Royals counter with former Dodgers farmhand Scott Barlow, who departed as a Minor League free agent in the offseason. Barlow has accumulated a 4.91 ERA and 1.64 WHIP across two Cactus League starts.
In his last outing against the San Diego Padres, the Barlow yielded four hits — two of them for solo home runs — across 1.2 innings with one strikeout.
Kansas City defeated Los Angeles in their first matchup of the year. Friday’s game is the second of four head-to-head meetings in Cactus League play.
As the wait to Opening Day dwindles down, the Dodgers’ lineups become more and more resembling of what’s likely to be seen during the regular season. Their latest includes the likes of Corey Seager, Justin Turner, Matt Kemp, Yasmani Grandal and Logan Forsythe.
Forsythe is enjoying a hot spring thus far, as he’s 7-for-14 with two doubles, two home runs and six RBI.
Dodgers lineup:
1B: Chase Utley
DH: Corey Seager
3B: Justin Turner
LF: Matt Kemp
C: Yasmani Grandal
2B: Logan Forsythe
CF: Joc Pederson
RF: Trayce Thompson
SS: Donovan Solano
Royals lineup:
2B: Whit Merrifield
LF: Michael Saunders
1B: Lucas Duda
CF: Tyler Collins
RF: Jorge Bonifacio
3B: Cheslor Cuthbert
SS: Nicky Lopez
C: Drew Butera
DH: Nick Dini
