Twins at Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers don't appear to have many weaknesses, but they have been rumored to be in the market for starting pitching as the trade deadline approaches - a need that may have become more pronounced over the weekend. Hyun-Jin Ryu is expected to come off the disabled list while Clayton Kershaw is expected to go on it Monday as the Dodgers begin a three-game interleague series against the visiting Minnesota Twins.
Kershaw, who missed more than two months last year with a back issue, left Sunday's start after two innings with tightness in his lower back, but Los Angeles still won for the 13th time in 15 games as Logan Forsythe delivered a walk-off single in the 10th inning of a 5-4 victory over Atlanta. Although the three-time Cy Young Award winner was relieved the symptoms were not the same as last year's, the team made a determination to place him on the DL following an examination by team doctor Robert Watkins. While Los Angeles owns the best record in the majors (68-31) and can afford to be careful with its ace as it sports a 10 1/2-game lead in the National League West, Minnesota does not have the same luxury as it has alternated wins and losses in nine games since the All-Star break. The Twins dropped two of three over the weekend to Detroit, falling 2 1/2 games off the pace in the American League Central.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Bartolo Colon (2-9, 8.19 ERA) vs. Dodgers LH Hyun-Jin Ryu (3-6, 4.21)
Colon was ineffective against the New York Yankees on Tuesday in his debut with Minnesota - his 10th major-league team - as he surrendered four runs and eight hits in four innings. The 44-year-old publicly admitted after the game he was considering retirement if things did not go well in his next start, but manager Paul Molitor downplayed those concerns. "To think about retiring when you're 44 years old and in baseball, it's a pretty normal thing. We had a little conversation (Wednesday) morning. He's fine physically. He's scheduled to pitch on Monday, so he'll prepare for that," Molitor told reporters.
Ryu will make his first start since June 28 after spending the last three-plus weeks recovering from a bruised left foot. The 30-year-old South Korean yielded two runs and struck out eight in his last turn, a no-decision against the Los Angeles Angels, and will enter this outing having bypassed a rehab assignment - instead throwing only two simulated games. Ryu never has faced Minnesota but will try to improve on his 3-3 record and 4.56 ERA in nine interleague starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Dodgers have won 46 consecutive games when leading at any point - the longest such streak in major-league history.
2. The Twins designated LHP Craig Breslow for assignment and acquired RHP Nick Tepesch via trade from Toronto on Sunday.
3. Los Angeles RHP Kenta Maeda will start Tuesday as MGR Dave Roberts announced RHP Brandon McCarthy (blister) will join Kershaw on the DL.