Colorado is in Los Angeles for game 2 of this series after dropping the opener 5-3, a game the Dodgers stole with a 4-run 7th inning. Now the Rockies get to do it all over again, only this time they're sending Kyle Freeland and his 7.04 ERA to the bump. That is not a typo.
The fun part of this matchup is that the Dodgers are countering with Eric Lauer, who is essentially Freeland-lite. Lauer was DFA'd by Toronto on May 11, scooped up by the Dodgers on May 17, and now gets thrown straight into the rotation because Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell are both cooked. He brings a 1-5 record and 6.69 ERA to his Dodgers debut. When this is the depth move a 34-20 team makes, you know the injury situation is ugly.
- Day-To-DayTJ Rumfield 1B — X-rays on Rumfield's right hand came back negative, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.
- Day-To-DayBrayan Castillo RP — The Rockies announced Monday that Castillo is dealing with right lat tightness and has been shut down from throwing while undergoing treatment for the injury, TheDNVR.com reports.
- Day-To-DayCase Williams SP — Williams is currently slowed by a stress reaction in his right triceps, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.
- Day-To-DayJared Thomas CF — The Rockies announced Monday that Thomas hasn't been participating in spring training while he recovers from offseason surgery to address a fractured hamate bone in his right wrist, TheDNVR.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILMickey Moniak LF — Moniak is not in the starting lineup Thursday night against Arizona.
- 10-Day-ILBrenton Doyle CF — The Rockies announced that Doyle is considered day-to-day after suffering a left oblique contusion during Tuesday's 10-0 loss to the Rangers, Manny Randhawa of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILJordan Beck LF — Beck went 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI on Saturday against Atlanta.
- 15-Day-ILJose Quintana SP — Quintana will head back to Denver for an MRI on his left elbow, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.
- Day-To-DayMax Muncy 3B — Muncy (wrist) remains out of the lineup for Monday's contest versus the Rockies.
- 15-Day-ILTyler Glasnow SP — Glasnow (back) played catch Monday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
- 15-Day-ILBrock Stewart RP — Stewart (foot) has started a throwing program, per MLB.com.
- 15-Day-ILBlake Snell SP — Snell (elbow) will undergo the same "nano scope" procedure Tuesday that Tarik Skubal had earlier in May, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILJack Dreyer RP — The Dodgers placed Dreyer on the 15-day injured list Sunday due to left shoulder discomfort.
- 60-Day-ILEdwin Diaz RP — Diaz (elbow) is expected to start a throwing progression Tuesday or Wednesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
- 60-Day-ILTommy Edman 2B — Edman (ankle) will start his rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Oklahoma City, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILBrusdar Graterol RP — Graterol (shoulder/back) is considering surgery, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
And it is ugly — for both sides, honestly. The Rockies are without Kris Bryant, Brenton Doyle, Mickey Moniak, Jordan Beck, Chase Dollander, Jose Quintana, and a small platoon of relievers. The Dodgers are missing Snell, Glasnow, Tommy Edman, and Max Muncy is day-to-day with the wrist. The difference is one of these teams has Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman to mask it. The other has Kyle Freeland trying to navigate Dodger Stadium for 5 innings.
The market is reacting exactly the way you'd expect. The Dodgers are -213 on the moneyline, -1.5 on the runline, and 92% of DraftKings bets on the spread are piling on LA. The total sits at 9 with two pitchers carrying ERAs north of 6.50 between them — the over is the popular side at 66% of bets, though the sharper money on Pinnacle slightly prefers the under.
The honest read here: if you're a Rockies fan, you're hoping Freeland finds 2014 vintage Freeland for one night. If you're a Dodgers fan, you're hoping Lauer can stash 4 innings together so the bullpen doesn't get torched again. And if you're just watching, take the over and enjoy the fireworks. There is no scenario in which these two left-handers combine for a quality start.