First pitch at PNC Park is 5:40 PM CT, and the matchup on paper is a mismatch: Justin Wrobleski (7-2, 2.62) against Mitch Keller (5-3, 4.81) with the rubber game on the line. Wrobleski tossed 6 shutout innings in Arizona his last time out, 4 strikeouts, 0 walks, 6 hits, 84 pitches. Keller got rocked in Atlanta on June 5, 6 earned runs in 4.2 innings.
Pittsburgh's Wednesday win was the kind of game that gets a clubhouse talking. Rookie Tyler Callihan, called up from Triple-A Indianapolis on May 28, hit the first 2 home runs of his big-league career — a solo shot off Ohtani in the 4th and a 3-run blast off Kyle Hurt in the 8th to flip a 6-3 deficit. The Bucs had been blown out 12-3 the night before, so the response mattered.
The Dodgers are nicked up and it is starting to show. Will Smith hit the 10-day IL with a neck issue, joining Teoscar Hernandez (hamstring) and Enrique Hernandez (oblique, 6-to-8 weeks) on the position-player side. The rotation is already gutted with Glasnow, Snell, Stone, Miller and Knack all on the 60-day. Wrobleski is filling in beautifully, but the depth behind him is paper thin.
- Day-To-DayChris Campos SP
- 10-Day-ILTeoscar Hernandez LF — Hernandez (hamstring) said Saturday that he expects to return from the injured list in about a month, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.
- 10-Day-ILEnrique Hernandez 1B — Hernandez is expected to be out for 6-to-8 weeks after sustaining a "significant tear" of his left oblique during Tuesday's 15-6 win over the Rockies, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
- 15-Day-ILBrock Stewart RP — Stewart (foot) threw to live hitters Saturday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
- 60-Day-ILTyler Glasnow SP — The Dodgers transferred Glasnow (back) to the 60-day injured list Saturday.
- 60-Day-ILBlake Snell SP — Snell (elbow) began playing catch Friday, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILEvan Phillips RP — Phillips (elbow) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday, yielding one hit and one walk over two-thirds of a scoreless frame.
- 60-Day-ILBobby Miller SP — Miller (shoulder/back) will resume throwing off the mound this week, Cody Snavely of DodgersBeat.com reports.
- Day-To-DayEndy Rodriguez C — Rodriguez went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, a walk, three RBI, an additional run scored and a stolen base in Tuesday's 10-6 win over the Astros.
- Day-To-DayAnthony Solometo SP — Solometo underwent left shoulder labrum surgery and is expected to be sidelined until at least April 2027, Mark Chiarelli of Baseball America reports.
- Day-To-DayMitch Jebb LF
- Day-To-DayOddanier Mosqueda RP — Mosqueda will not throw for a couple weeks due to left forearm inflammation, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
- Day-To-DayMike Clevinger RP — Clevinger is expected to be sidelined for around six weeks after being diagnosed with an MCL sprain in his right knee, Jason Mackey of MLB.com reports.
- Day-To-DaySean Sullivan SP — Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Sullivan is battling right elbow soreness, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
- 10-Day-ILOneil Cruz CF — Cruz (hand) is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Dodgers.
- 10-Day-ILKonnor Griffin SS — Griffin (elbow) did some flat-ground throwing from out to 90 feet Wednesday at about 75 percent intensity, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Pittsburgh has its own problems. Oneil Cruz is on the 10-day with a hand injury, Joey Bart is on a rehab assignment, and Henry Davis is on the paternity list — which leaves Endy Rodriguez catching while listed day-to-day himself. Konnor Griffin is still working back from an elbow issue. This is not a full-strength Pirates roster trying to slow down the best lineup in baseball, even one missing Smith and both Hernandezes.
The number that scares you off the Dodgers is the price — they are -153 on the moneyline, chalky for a Pittsburgh ballpark where Pinnacle has the total at 9.5. The other number that scares you is Keller's. He carries a 7.59 ERA over his last 4 starts and has not made it through 5 innings in 3 of his last 5. If the Pirates fall behind early, this turns into a Wrobleski showcase.