Dodgers try to solve woes against left-handers

The Dodgers continue to try to solve their troubles against left-handed pitching on Tuesday night, facing Rockies rookie southpaw Tyler Anderson in the middle game of their series at Coors Field.

The Dodgers are just 16-17 in games against left-handed starting pitchers in 2016, including a loss to Anderson on Aug. 3 in Denver. Anderson in that game allowed two runs in seven innings, with six strikeouts.

Against all left-handed pitching — starters and relievers — in 2016, the Dodgers are hitting just .219/.298/.343, dead last in the National League in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, and wOBA (.282). They are 13th out of 15 teams in wRC+ (76).

Corey Seager is out of the lineup, one night after he was hit by a pitch on his left wrist by a fastball in the seventh inning. X-rays were negative, but manager Dave Roberts said after Monday’s game that Seager was getting a day off anyway on Tuesday.

The left-handed Seager, who started each of the previous nine days and in 33 of the last 34 games, is the Dodgers’ best hitter* against left-handed pitchers this season (minimum 20 plate appearances), hitting .278/.340/.479 against southpaws.

*by OPS, that is. Switch-hitter Yasmani Grandal (.353) leads Seager (.349) in wOBA against left-handers.

Grandal also sits on Tuesday, with Carlos Ruiz starting behind the plate, with a day game coming on Wednesday. Ruiz is hitting .261/.443/.413 against left-handed pitchers in 2016.

Charlie Culberson gets the call at shortstop on Tuesday night for the Dodgers.

The Dodgers’ three best right-handed batters against lefties (again, min. 20 PA) — Scott Van Slyke (.316 wOBA), Kiké Hernandez (.314) and Trayce Thompson (.304) — have underwhelmed, and have all missed significant time with injuries. The only one of those three who is healthy now is Hernandez, and since returning from the disabled list on July 31 is just 4-for-24 (.167) with a double and six walks (.333 OBP) against southpaws.

Hernandez starts in left field and is leading off on Tuesday.

Rob Segedin, starting at first base, is 5-for-16 (.313) with a home run and a double (.563 slugging pecentage) against lefties this season, and hit .354/.426/.626 with 15 extra-base hits in 115 plate appearances against them with Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Adrian Gonzalez sits after starting the last 26 games, including each of the last 14 days.

The left-handed Andrew Toles has hit just about everybody he has faced so far, 20-for-54 with eight extra-base hits in the majors, hitting .370/.435/.611. He starts in center field against Anderson.

Against left-handed pitchers in the majors, Toles is 3-for-3 with a home run. In the minors in 2016, Toles hit .203/.266/.254 in 64 PA against southpaws.