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Corey Seager is out of the lineup for a third straight day with lower back discomfort in the Dodgers’ series opener against the Padres at Dodger Stadium. For now the team doesn’t plan to put him on the injured list. At least not yet.
The most a team can backdate an injured list stint is three days, so placing Seager on the IL on Tuesday would be the same as if they made the move on Saturday, one day after he left Friday’s game with the injury.
As of now, the Dodgers are essentially one player short on the active roster, though manager Dave Roberts said that is mitigated somewhat by the Dodgers’ versatility.
“We’re trying to net out not having Corey for four or five days, but potentially having him for four or five days. That possibility, versus not having him for 10 days,” Roberts said on a conference call Monday. “So we’re kind of trying to weigh it. Right now we’re certainly managing it, and we feel okay about it.”
Dodgers vs. Padres lineups
| Pos | Padres | Pos | Dodgers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Padres | Pos | Dodgers |
| SS | Tatis | LF | Pederson (L) |
| CF | Grisham (L) | RF | Betts |
| 3B | Machado | CF | Bellinger (L) |
| DH | Pham | 3B | Turner |
| 1B | Hosmer (L) | 2B | Muncy (L) |
| RF | Myers | SS | Taylor |
| 2B | Cronenworth (L) | DH | Beaty (L) |
| C | Hedges | 1B | Rios (L) |
| LF | Profar (S) | C | Smith |
Chris Taylor starts at shortstop on Monday, his fifth start at the position this season. Taylor has also started three times each at second base and in left field, and twice at designated hitter.
Catching on
Will Smith starts at catcher, the first Dodgers backstop to start on consecutive days this season, in their 17th game. This will make 10 starts for Smith this season, compared to seven for Austin Barnes behind the plate.
Roberts said Barnes would catch Tuesday’s game, but that Smith would catch three of the four games in this series against San Diego.
“He’s got his legs under him. Both catchers do now,” Roberts said, “so now you can kind of start to ramp it up a little bit more, as far as workload with Will.”
Swinging Friar
Padres shortstop and budding star Fernando Tatis Jr. was named National League Player of the Week on Monday. He hit two home runs in the series against the Dodgers, then added four more long balls over the weekend against Arizona. Tatis enters Monday with home runs in four consecutive games, and six home runs in his last six games and 25 plate appearances.
Dustin May, who is starting tonight for the Dodgers, held Tatis to only a double in three at-bats last week, so he’s got that going for him.
Game info
Time: 6:40 p.m. PT
TV: SportsNet LA