LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers will get two days off on the upcoming road trip against the Rays and Blue Jays. The team will use the flexibility to shuffle the rotation based on matchups.
Alex Wood and Kenta Maeda will switch spots in the order so that Maeda can face the right-handed monsters in the Blue Jays lineup on Friday. Wood will now move up to face the Rays Wednesday and pitch on normal rest.
Maeda will now get eight days rest between starts, which is closer to what the right-hander is used to in Japan, where they pitch only once a week. Manager Dave Roberts insists the switch has everything to do with matchups and nothing to do with scheduling for Maeda.
"For us, it’s just more matchup-based," manager Dave Roberts said. "You see these [right-handed hitters] in Toronto where I think Kenta matches up well with those guys."
Josh Donaldson (.998), Troy Tulowitzki (.977) and Jose Bautista (.953) all rank in the top 10 in OPS against lefties in all of baseball since 2010 (min. 300 AB). Edwin Encarnacion (.906) isn't too far behind, making the Jays lineup dangerous if they were to face Wood.
Wood has given up 31 homers to right-handers over his short career as compared to only four to lefties.