2017 MLB schedule: Dodgers open next season at home against the Padres

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers will open next year at home against the Padres on Monday, April 3 as part of the tentative 2017 regular season schedule released by Major League Baseball on Wednesday.

That opening series against the Padres is a four-game series, and immediately followed by a six-game road trip to play the Rockies and Cubs. That trip involves the home opener for both Colorado and Chicago, and the series at Wrigley Field includes a game on Monday, April 10, followed by a Tuesday off day (built in for weather) then games on Wednesday and Thursday.

It is the Dodgers’ earliest trip to Wrigley Field since 1996, when they played their second series of the year from April 4-7.

This is the seventh time the Dodgers have opened their season at home against the Padres and the second time in three years. LA will have opened three straight seasons against the Padres, and 11 times overall.

The Dodgers conclude their regular season on Sunday, Oct. 1 against the Rockies with a three-game series at Coors Field.

The Dodgers play the Giants in San Francisco April 24-27, May 15-17 and Sept. 11-13. Those two teams play in Los Angeles May 1-3, July 28-30 and Sept. 22-24.

The 2017 All-Star Game is Tuesday, July 11 in Miami. The Dodgers play 91 games before the break, and 71 after.

National League West teams play the American League Central in interleague play, plus the annual games against contrived natural rivals. The Dodgers’ first interleague series of the season is June 13-15 against the Indians in Cleveland.

It is the Dodgers’ first trip to Cleveland since 2003, and just their second trip ever to play the Indians on the road in interleague play. Their other interleague road trip is to Detroit to play three games against the Tigers from Aug. 18-20.

The Dodgers play a home-and-home series against the Angels, their natural interleague rivals, from June 26-29, with the first two games at Dodger Stadium and the last two in Anaheim.

LA also plays a home-and-home against the White Sox, with two games in Chicago on July 13-14, and two games in LA on Aug. 15-16. The former is the Dodgers’ first visit to Chicago to play the White Sox since 2011.

The Dodgers host the Royals from July 7-9 and host the Twins from July 27-29. It is Kansas City’s first trip to Dodger Stadium since 2003, and Minnesota’s first trip to LA since 2005 (Hee Seop Choi!).

Credit: Dodgers