Cactus League, Game 4 - Nick Lodolo takes on the Dodgers

It was already going to be a transitional year for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The departures of Justin Turner and Trea Turner created quite the void on the left side of the infield, while Walker Buehler’s recovery from Tommy John surgery likely has him on the pine for the duration of the season. Even though the precipitous decline of former MVP Cody Bellinger had been accounted for long before this past winter, his move to the Chicago Cubs created yet another void on what had been the best, most recognizable club in the league.

That paints a pretty vivid backdrop to the news that Gavin Lux has a blown ACL, a misstep running the bases in Cactus League play yesterday effectively ending his season. While there’s still ample star power in the Dodgers dugout, Lux was one of several youngsters expected to take on a more significant role this season, something that now seems a bit in peril before it ever began.

The Dodgers will pivot, though, as that’s what good franchises like them do. Even though they’re stockpiling and planning for the future - both in terms of projected payroll and the depth of their farm system - they’re also doing their damnedest to equip their big league team properly, too. Imagine that...trying to win at the big league level and planning for a future run at the same time!

Anyway, the Dodgers will play host to the Cincinnati Reds today at Camelback Ranch for some Cactus League action, and the Reds will be sending prized lefty Nick Lodolo to the mound for his spring debut. We can likely expect a pair of IP out of Lodolo after we saw a similar workload in the debut of Hunter Greene yesterday.

The game will be carried by MLB Network, so track that down somewhere to stream the action live. MLB.tv should be an outlet for that, too. First pitch is once again set for 3:05 PM ET, with stud lefty Julio Urias on the bump for Los Angeles.

Reds Lineup

Dodgers Lineup