Eric Lauer (3-5, 4.87 ERA) draws Gage Jump (3-1, 2.04 ERA) tonight at 6:40 PM PT in West Sacramento — a matchup that looks tilted on paper but tells a more interesting story. Lauer's overall ERA is inflated by his time in Toronto; since arriving in Los Angeles via trade in May, he's been a reliable bulk option posting a 2.54 ERA across 28-plus Dodger innings. Jump is something else entirely: a 23-year-old LSU product who hasn't allowed a home run across 35 career innings, struck out 9 in 5 scoreless frames against the Giants in his last outing, and is touching 98 mph with a fastball hitters can't barrel. His 1.19 ERA and 0.79 WHIP over his last 5 starts are not flukes.
The Dodgers are getting healthier at the right time. Teoscar Hernandez is expected to be activated off the IL tonight after a hamstring injury kept him out since late May — he hit 3 home runs during his Triple-A rehab and was batting .276/.348/.436 with 7 homers and 31 RBI before going down. Manager Dave Roberts plans to ease him back in, but even a few days of Hernandez in this lineup makes it deeper. Catcher Will Smith (neck) is staying home for this road trip, which is the bad news, but this offense has enough firepower without him.
The Athletics are a different kind of banged up. Zack Gelof (right hand) is on the IL. Brent Rooker (knee) isn't doing baseball activities yet. Jacob Wilson (shoulder) and Tyler Soderstrom (hip) are both day-to-day and were out of the lineup Sunday against the Angels — a team Sacramento still lost 2 of 3 to. That's your projected 3B, DH, SS, and LF all unavailable or uncertain heading into a series opener against the best team in the NL. On paper, this is not a great look.
- Day-To-DayChris Campos SP
- 10-Day-ILTeoscar Hernandez LF — Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that Hernandez (hamstring) will be activated off the injured list ahead of Monday's series opener versus the Athletics, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
- 10-Day-ILWill Smith C — Manager Dave Roberts said Sunday that Smith (neck) won't travel with the Dodgers for their upcoming road trip, which begins Monday and runs through July 1, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILEnrique Hernandez 1B — Hernandez (oblique) has started some baseball activities but remains in the early stages of his rehab, per MLB.com.
- 15-Day-ILBlake Treinen RP — Treinen does not have any structural damage in his injured right elbow, per MLB.com.
- 60-Day-ILBlake Snell SP — Snell (elbow) threw a 15-pitch bullpen session Friday, and manager Dave Roberts said it went well, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.
- 60-Day-ILLandon Knack SP — Knack (chest) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday, yielding two runs on five hits and one walk over 1.1 innings.
- 60-Day-ILEdwin Diaz RP — Diaz (elbow) is throwing in the bullpen Friday at Dodger Stadium, reports Jack Harris of the California Post.
- Day-To-DayJacob Wilson SS — Wilson (shoulder) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Angels.
- Day-To-DayTyler Soderstrom LF — Soderstrom (hip) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Angels.
- 10-Day-ILZack Gelof 3B — The Athletics placed Gelof on the 10-day injured list Thursday with a right hand contusion.
- 10-Day-ILBrent Rooker DH — Rooker (knee) is still not participating in any baseball activities as of Tuesday, MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILMark Leiter Jr. RP — Leiter (hip) began a throwing progression Monday, MLB.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILDenzel Clarke CF — Clarke (hamstring) has started to play catch and has also begun a swinging progression, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILLuis Severino SP — The Athletics transferred Severino (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Sunday.
- 60-Day-ILBrooks Kriske RP — Kriske (shoulder) began a throwing progression Thursday, MLB.com reports.
Jump is the reason to tune in. His 2.2% barrel rate sits at the 98th percentile — hitters aren't squaring him up — and his 0.49 road ERA is better than his already impressive home number. Sutter Health Park is the smallest ballpark in MLB, and still nobody's taken him deep. The Dodgers will give him his most credentialed test: a lineup capable of a 15-run outburst that just added a healthy Hernandez. If Jump holds them to 2 runs through 6 innings, Sacramento has a real shot to steal a series opener. If LA finds a crack, this could get ugly fast. That tension is what makes the matchup worth watching.