Carl Crawford, LF
Yasiel Puig, RF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Andre Ethier, CF
Juan Uribe, 3B
A.J. Ellis, C
Dee Gordon, 2B
Hyun-Jin Ryu, P
By Jon Weisman
Though Matt Kemp has been activated, he is not in today’s starting lineup. As SportsNet LA’s Allanna Rizzo notes on Twitter, Don Mattingly said that he hopes to ease Kemp into action in the later innings today and that Kemp would likely start on Saturday. Mike Baxter has been optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque.
The Dodgers have brought out the same starting eight position players in the same batting order for the fourth consecutive game, the first time the team has done this since they put out this group for five consecutive games, from May 12-16, 2009:
Juan Pierre, LF
Rafael Furcal, SS
Orlando Hudson, 2B
Andre Ethier, RF
Russell Martin, C
James Loney, 1B
Matt Kemp, CF
Casey Blake, 3B
In other notes, Hyun-Jin Ryu will “join Van Lingle Mungo (1937) and Don Drysdale (1965) as the only Dodgers pitchers to start in three of the first six games since 1914,” according to Eric Stephen of True Blue L.A.
Update: Matt Kemp will start and bat second after all, playing center field in place of Yasiel Puig, who was scratched after showing up late today. Andre Ethier will play right field.
Don Bright
Puig late to ballpark and benched, Kemp in and playing center, Etheir moved to right
LCLA
Come one Puig! Can’t be late to the home opener!