The Dodgers are back at home and opening a three-game set against the Mariners with a familiar formula: a strong club, a hot arm, and a chance to keep rolling before the trade deadline chatter really takes over.
Los Angeles comes in at 67-39 with the best record in Major League Baseball and a 12.5-game cushion in the National League West. The club just finished a 6-3 road trip through New York, Philadelphia and New York again, and now gets a lone matchup this season with Seattle. Last year, the Dodgers swept the Mariners in a three-game series in late September.
For Tuesday night’s opener, the Dodgers are sending All-Star left-hander Justin Wrobleski to the mound. He’s been one of the storylines of the season, going 11-2 with a 2.62 ERA over 106.2 innings. He’s also been sharp in his last two outings, one before the All-Star break and one after, giving up two runs across 13.1 innings while striking out 14.
Seattle counters with right-hander Luis Castillo, who has steadied himself after a rough start. Castillo is 3-9 with a 4.85 ERA in 94.2 innings overall, but since May 25 he’s posted a 3.35 ERA over 48.1 innings.
He’s also been mentioned as a possible trade candidate ahead of the deadline, with the Mariners carrying extra starting pitching and needing offense. This will be his last start before the break, and it comes against the kind of opponent many expect to have to beat on the way to a World Series.
The Mariners enter at 52-55, sitting third in the American League West and having dropped five of their last six. First pitch on Tuesday, July 28 is set for 7:10 p.m.
PT/10:10 p.m. ET.
The game will air on SportsNet LA and in the MLB app. It will also be on the radio on AM570 in English and KTNQ 1020 AM in Spanish.
In Other News...
Former Yankees Trade Piece Is Becoming A Much Bigger Dodgers Problem
Christian Zazueta has quietly become one of the more interesting arms in the Dodgers system, and the latest prospect rankings only underline how far he has come. The right-hander has climbed to No. 6 on MLB Pipelines list of Los Angeles prospects, passing River Ryan as the organizations top pitching name on that board, a notable jump for a pitcher who has steadily worked his way through the minors since arriving in February 2024.
What makes the rise more compelling is the way Zazueta has backed it up on the field. He has sharpened his performance at every stop, earned the Branch Rickey Minor League Pitcher of the Year award, and is now working at Double-A with a plus fastball and an effective changeup that give him a real starters profile. For a Dodgers system that always seems to be balancing present needs with future arms, Zazueta is starting to look less like depth and more like a pitcher the club will have to keep an eye on. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Fans Had The Same Reaction To Alek Thomas Bizarre Scare
Alek Thomas had a strange pregame moment in Sacramento when he was involved in a minor collision with the River Cats mascot riding a scooter, a scene that briefly had Dodgers fans doing a double take. The outfielder, now with Triple-A Oklahoma City after coming over from Arizona in May, stayed in the game and continued his work in the minors as he tries to sharpen his offensive game.
Thomas went 0-for-4 that night and was not in the lineup the following day, which only added to the intrigue around an already odd sequence. For a player the Dodgers are still trying to develop, every appearance matters, so even a bizarre scare like this naturally drew extra attention from a fan base already watching his progress closely. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Suddenly Have A New October Threat To Worry About
Milwaukee is looking at ways to sharpen its pitching for another run at the Dodgers, and the conversation has quickly drifted toward one of the biggest names available. Tarik Skubal, a two-time AL Cy Young Award winner, has emerged as a possible target as the Brewers try to build a rotation sturdy enough to change their October ceiling.
Bleacher Reports Zachary D. Rymer even placed Milwaukee among the better landing spots for the Detroit Tigers ace, a sign of how seriously the idea is being taken. The appeal is obvious for a club that already has Jacob Misiorowski in place, since adding another frontline arm would give the Brewers a very different kind of postseason look, even if the price to make that happen is still the part nobody has figured out yet. [Read more 🡒]