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Clayton Kershaw nearing 200 innings again

"Tag, you're my center fielder tomorrow."
"Tag, you're my center fielder tomorrow."
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

ANAHEIM -- The Dodgers look for a fifth straight win on Tuesday night and will send ace Clayton Kershaw to the mound against the Angels in the middle game of their Freeway Series at Angel Stadium.

Kershaw needs six innings to reach 200 on the season, which would be the fifth time in six seasons he reached the 200-inning plateau. Since the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles, there are only six pitchers with more 200-inning seasons for the franchise - Don Sutton (15), Don Drysdale (11), Claude Osteen (nine), Fernando Valenzuela (seven), Orel Hershiser (seven), and Burt Hooton (six).

Kershaw just missed the 200-inning mark in 2014, falling only five outs shy despite missing five weeks in April and May with a strained teres major muscle.

He leads the National League this season with 194 innings, and leads the majors with 7.19 innings per start. He has thrown 80 innings in his last 10 starts, a span that has seen Kershaw allow eight runs and seven walks, with 104 strikeouts.

Behind Kershaw on Wednesday night is an all right-handed outfield against Angels southpaw starter Andrew Heaney, with Justin Ruggiano in left field, Chris Heisey in center field and Scott Van Slyke in right field.

Joc Pederson went from playing every day in center field to losing his starting job to Kiké Hernandez, until Hernandez injured his hamstring. After starting just once in seven games, Pederson started nine straight games before sitting Tuesday night.

"I look at this more as a day off for him. He went from not playing to playing every day all of a sudden," manager Don Mattingly said. "This allows him to continue the work he's been doing, and we're seeing the results."

Corey Seager gets the start at shortstop for a second straight night, with Jimmy Rollins and his jammed right index finger sitting for at least one more game.

"Just that knuckle. It's still sore, but it's not going to be anything that's long term. [Rollins] might need a couple days, or a day or two or three, but he won't need a cast or anything," Mattingly said. "He'll be back in there. He's day-to-day."

Alex Guerrero starts at designated hitter, his first start since Aug. 22, 16 games ago. Counting Tuesday, Guerrero's last three starts are at DH, with his last start on defense coming on Aug. 10, in left field.

Halos moves

Before Tuesday's game and with the Pacific Coast League regular season now complete, the Angels recalled infielder Kyle Kubitza and outfielder Daniel Robertson from Triple-A Salt Lake.

Game info

Time: 7:05 p.m. PT

TV: SportsNet LA, Fox Sports West