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Dodgers Pregame Notes: Mattingly Talks Lineup, Frias Expectations

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

For the first time this season Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly made significant changes to the lineup card Wednesday that extended beyond giving everyday starters a game off. Joc Pederson was moved to the leadoff spot, which bumped Jimmy Rollins down to second and switched Howie Kendrick and Adrian Gonzalez.

Pederson is again leading off Friday as the lineup generally resembles what the Dodgers most recently used. However, it doesn’t include Juan Uribe at third base but instead Justin Turner. Mattingly explained during his pregame availability Turner and Alex Guerrero both starting is due to creating favorable matchups against Arizona Diamondbacks starter Rubby De La Rosa.



De La Rosa throws a fastball that hovers around the mid-to-upper 90s and he’s thrown it 44 percent of the time this season. In recent years Uribe has had some trouble catching up to the high speed of hard-throwers, whereas Guerrero and Turner haven’t been quite as susceptible.

De La Rosa, who pitched for the Dodgers in 2011 (13 games, 10 starts) and 2012 (one relief appearance), is 2-1 with a 4.68 ERA and 1.28 WHIP heading into Friday’s start. As for Carlos Frias, who becomes the eighth different pitcher to start a game for the Dodgers this season (tied for MLB lead), Mattingly said he’s hoping to get seven innings out of him.

Friday marks Frias’ first start this season and just third of his Major League career; he’s pitched in 17 games total, not counting Friday’s contest. Frias last appeared out of the bullpen for the Dodgers on April 27 when he threw 1.1 scoreless innings and earned a win.

The 25-year-old right-hander was 2-0 with a 2.84 ERA and had 15 strikeouts in three games (12.2 innings; two starts) with Triple-A Oklahoma City prior to being called up April 26.

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