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Everyday Cody Bellinger

MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers at Colorado Rockies Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Cody Bellinger starts for the Dodgers against the Rockies on Friday night at Coors Field, just like he has for every single game since getting called up the majors on Apr. 25.

Bellinger starts in left field on Friday, his 11th start at the position. He has also started five times at first base.

Starting lineups

Pos Dodgers Pos Rockies
Pos Dodgers Pos Rockies
CF Pederson (L) CF Blackmon (L)
SS Seager (L) 2B LeMahieu
3B Turner 3B Arenado
LF Bellinger (L) 1B Reynolds
C Grandal (S) LF Desmond
2B Taylor RF Gonzalez (L)
1B Utley (L) SS Valaika
RF Puig C Garneau
P Kershaw (L) P Chatwood
Time: 5:40 p.m. PT TV: SportsNet LA, MLB Network

He bats cleanup, his fifth time batting fourth. It’s one of seven different positions in the batting order for Bellinger in 16 games. He has batted everywhere in the order but third or ninth.

Corey Seager, Justin Turner, and Yasiel Puig all start on Friday, their 15th start in 16 games since Bellinger was called up from Triple-A. But it is only Bellinger during that time, among the Dodgers, to start all 16 games.

The only time Bellinger didn’t play every inning was Apr. 27 in San Francisco — his third day in the majors — when he was replaced on a double-switch in the seventh inning of a 10-inning Dodgers win.

Bellinger in his time with the Dodgers leads the team in plate appearances (65), home runs (six), RBI (17), runs scored (15), and extra-base hits (nine). His 19 hits are second only to Turner’s 20.

But how rare is starting every game right away when you get to the majors?

It’s pretty rare, at least among Dodgers. Since moving to Los Angeles in 1958, the franchise has had just nine players open their career by starting at least 16 straight games. Bellinger is the first since Mike Ramsey, who started the first 28 games of the 1987 season in center field.

The longest streak was by Ted Sizemore, who started the first 79 games of the 1969 season, switching between shortstop and second base. Jim Lefebvre four years earlier started the first 75 games at second base.

Both won National League Rookie of the Year honors.

Here is a look at the top 10 streaks of games started to open a career by a Los Angeles Dodger.

LA Dodgers consecutive starts to begin career

Player Pos Year(s) Starts
Player Pos Year(s) Starts
Ted Sizemore* SS-2B 1969 79
Jim Lefebvre* 2B 1965 75
Bill Sudakis 3B 1968-69 53
Mike Ramsey* CF 1987 28
Nate Oliver* 2B 1963 22
Steve Sax 2B 1981 18
Johnny Werhas* 3B 1964 18
Luis Alcaraz 2B 1967 17
Cody Bellinger LF-1B 2017 16
Jeff Hamilton 3B 1986 15
*to start season Source: Baseball-Reference

Rockies roster move

Colorado called up outfielder Raimel Tapia before Friday’s game, and optioned Thursday starter Jeff Hoffman back to Triple-A Albuquerque.