This past offseason marked the end of an era for the Los Angeles Dodgers as Yasiel Puig was traded to the Cincinnati Reds along with Matt Kemp, Alex Wood and Kyle Farmer.
Now, for the first time, Puig seees his former team with the Reds traveling to Camelback Ranch to face the Dodgers on Thursday afternoon.
The Dodgers have their hands full considering Puig will surely be motivated to perform well against the team that traded him and he is in the midst of a monster spring. In 10 Cactus League games, Puig is hitting .348/.423/.696 with two doubles, two home runs and five RBI.
Getting the first opportunity to face his former teammate is Hyun-Jin Ryu, who is making his fourth start of the spring. Ryu has been lights-out for the Dodgers so far, tossing six shutout innings while allowing just four hits with six strikeouts and zero walks.
For the first time this spring, a Dodgers pitcher is getting a chance to hit with Ryu batting ninth for the Dodgers.
Opposing Ryu is another trade acquisition of the Reds from this past winter, Sonny Gray. The former Oakland Athletic and New York Yankee is looking to get his career back on track with the Reds and so far he is off to a good start this spring.
Gray has made one start to the point, tossing two shutout innings, allowing two hits while striking out three.
Among the Dodgers regulars in the lineup against Gray are Justin Turner, and Kiké Hernandez. Max Muncy was originally scheduled to be in the lineup but was scratched due to wrist soreness and is considered day-to-day. The rest will likely be in the lineup Thursday night when the Dodgers travel to Peoria to face the San Diego Padres as a part of their split-squad doubleheader.
Another interesting note in the Dodgers lineup is that prospect Jeter Downs is playing shortstop and batting eighth. Downs was the main piece of the Puig trade going from Cincinnati to Los Angeles.
Dodgers lineup:
LF: Alex Verdugo
3B: Justin Turner
2B: Kiké Hernandez
CF: Ezequiel Carrera
C: Will Smith
1B: Cody Asche
RF: Paolo Orlando
SS: Jeter Downs
P: Hyun-Jin Ryu
Reds lineup:
CF: Scott Schebler
RF: Yasiel Puig
2B: Scooter Gennett
LF: Jesse Winker
1B: Derek Dietrich
SS: Jose Peraza
C: Tucker Barnhardt
3B: Jose Iglesias
DH: Phillip Ervin
