Corey Seager returns to the Texas Rangers lineup and Cavan Biggio is making his Los Angeles Dodgers debut in the middle game of the series at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers acquired Biggio and cash considerations from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Minor League reliever Braydon Fisher. Miguel Vargas was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City in order to make room on the active roster.
Biggio is starting at third base, where he anticipates to primarily play for the Dodgers.
Walker Buehler makes his seventh start of the season and looks for better results on the mound. He lasted just three innings in his last outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates, allowing four runs (three earned) and seven hits on 78 pitches.
Buehler was frustrated with the performance and believes he has not lived up to his own expectations since returning from a second Tommy John surgery and flexor tendon repair.
“Physically, I’m probably exceeding where I thought I was going to be. But performance-wise, I feel like [expletive],” Buehler said earlier this month. “I think my expectations of myself, I think I’m not anywhere close to where I want to be.
“I think if you take a layoff like that, you’re going to have the same expectations you always have. But you start tallying these starts, I think it’s kind of ‘put up or shut up’ time for me, at least mentally. And these last few, obviously, haven’t been good enough.”
Buehler enters with a 1-3 record, 4.82 ERA, 5.53 FIP and 1.46 WHIP in 28 innings pitched this season. He is 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in two career starts against the Rangers.
Buehler faces his former teammate as Seager is playing for the first time since leaving last Wednesday’s game because of a left hamstring strain. Seager’s return to the Rangers lineup comes as the designated hitter.
Meanwhile, the Rangers hand the ball to Jon Gray for his second game (first start) since coming off the 15-day injured list. Gray threw 37 pitches over 2.1 innings last week.
The right-hander is 2-2 with a 2.12 ERA in 12 games (10 starts) this season. Gray has struggled at Dodger Stadium throughout his career, going 1-6 with a 6.27 ERA in nine starts.
Dodgers lineup
SS: Mookie Betts
DH: Shohei Ohtani
1B: Freddie Freeman
C: Will Smith
LF: Teoscar Hernández
2B: Gavin Lux
CF: Andy Pages
RF: Jason Heyward
3B: Cavan Biggio
Rangers lineup
2B: Marcus Semien
DH: Corey Seager
RF: Adolis García
SS: Josh Smith
1B: Nathaniel Lowe
LF: Wyatt Langford
C: Jonah Heim
3B: Ezequiel Duran
CF: Leody Taveras
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