King (5-6, 3.33 ERA) gets the better end of this draw. He's coming off his cleanest start in weeks against the Braves — 7 innings, 0 earned runs, 5 strikeouts, 0 walks on 93 pitches — the kind of outing that quieted some real questions about his season. Sheehan (3-5, 5.32 ERA) starts the other way with a June ERA of 7.31 and a recent résumé that includes a 3.1-inning, 8-hit, 6-run disaster against Baltimore. That's the matchup.
Sheehan isn't in the Dodgers' rotation by choice at this point — he's there because Glasnow, Snell, Miller, Stone, and Knack are all on the 60-day IL. The entire starting staff is essentially a medical wing, and yet Los Angeles sits at 53-30, which is a credit to their depth and their lineup. Sheehan needs to give them 5 competent innings to keep LA in this one. Given what he's done this month, that's a genuine question, not a formality.
San Diego enters this finale riding a stretch where they looked like an actual contender again — swept the Braves before this series, then won Game 1 over the Dodgers 7-1 on Friday. Saturday's 15-3 beatdown was an outlier they'd like to forget quickly, and the Padres at home with King on the hill in a divisional finale is exactly the kind of spot they want. At 43-38, they need these games to stay relevant in the NL West. For the Dodgers, Will Smith (neck) is not traveling with the team this road trip, and Teoscar Hernandez is expected back Monday — meaning this lineup goes one more game without either of them.
- 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-DayTy France 1B — France, who was hit in the wrist by a pitch against the Dodgers on Friday, had X-rays return negative, but he's out of Saturday's lineup, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.
- 7-Day ILJake Cronenworth 2B — Cronenworth (concussion) went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and a double Friday in a rehab appearance with Triple-A El Paso.
- 10-Day-ILLuis Campusano C — Campusano (toe) continues to rehab in Arizona but hasn't yet been scheduled for a minor-league rehab assignment, per MLB.com.
- 15-Day-ILLucas Giolito SP — Giolito was placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday, retroactive to Monday, with right elbow inflammation.
- 15-Day-ILGerman Marquez SP — Marquez (forearm) struck out three and allowed three earned runs on five hits and three walks across five innings in a rehab start Wednesday with Triple-A El Paso.
- 15-Day-ILMatt Waldron SP — Waldron (forearm) made his first rehab appearance with Triple-A El Paso on Sunday, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings.
- 15-Day-ILJeremiah Estrada RP — Estrada (2-2) picked up the loss after giving up the eventual game-winning run in a 3-2 loss to Philadelphia on Tuesday.
- 60-Day-ILNick Pivetta SP — Pivetta (forearm) has advanced to playing long toss and could soon begin throwing off a mound, per MLB.com.
San Diego's own rotation is full of names on injured lists — Pivetta, Giolito, Waldron, Musgrove, Darvish — but none of that enters the equation Sunday when King takes the ball in good form. The Dodgers have shown all year that their offense can manufacture wins with almost any starter; the question is whether Sheehan is the rare version they can survive or the June version they can't. If he gets into trouble early, the Padres can put this game to bed before King ever has to be brilliant.