The Dodgers look for their third straight victory on Monday night as they open a series against the Nationals at Dodger Stadium, and will do so with Adrian Gonzalez back in the lineup at first base.
Gonzalez sat out Sunday, still dealing with a muscular strain in his neck that caused him to leave Saturday night's game after seven innings. Gonzalez, who injured his neck on May 1, has missed three games with the injury, left two others early, and pinch hit in another game that he did not start.
But since the injury Gonzalez is hitting .421 (8-for-19) with a double, a home run, and six runs batted in, and he has a nine-game hitting streak.
"That's the one thing. It doesn't really bother me when I hit," Gonzalez said on Saturday. "Just throwing, running for fly balls, running with my head up, that hurts, especially going back. But even moving forward with my head up it hurts. With fly balls it's hard for me to go hard or even go comfortably."
Scott Van Slyke filled in nicely at first base for Gonzalez on Sunday with a home run and an RBI single.
The Dodgers have beaten the Nationals five straight times at Dodger Stadium.
Game info
Time: 7:10 p.m.
TV: Prime Ticket