Dodgers Lineup vs Braves: Kyle Tucker Dropped Again, Santiago Espinal Starting

The Los Angeles Dodgers are welcoming the Atlanta Braves into town for a huge three-game series this weekend between the National League's two best teams.

The Braves (26-12) are tied with a handful of teams for the best record in baseball as they've been enjoying an incredible bounce back season after missing the playoffs last year.

The Dodgers (23-14) are in first place in the National League West, but have sputtered over the last couple weeks. They've lost two of their last three series and have gone 4-5 over that span.

This weekend's series will be a great test to see how the NL powerhouses stack up with each other. The Dodgers will be getting a huge boost to the rotation on Saturday, too.

Dodgers vs Braves Pitching Matchup on Friday

Right-handed pitcher Emmet Sheehan is taking the mound for the Dodgers against the ace of the Braves in left-hander Chris Sale.

Sheehan has had an up-and-down 2026 season, sporting a 5.23 ERA across six starts with 36 strikeouts over 31 innings.

It appeared Sheehan had turned a corner as he allowed just three runs over 11.1 innings to close out April. He was then rocked for four runs on eight hits over 4.2 innings in his first start of May.

Sheehan has also dealt with velocity issues, which he says are mechanical. That will be something to monitor on Friday night.

As for Sale, he's in the midst of another Cy Young-caliber season, going 6-1 with a 2.14 ERA and 49 strikeouts to 12 walks over 42 innings of work.

He's had one bad start where he allowed six earned runs over four innings. He hasn't allowed more than one run in any of his other six starts.

Sale has made two career starts at Dodger Stadium, allowing eight runs over 10.2 innings for a 6.75 ERA. One came in 2012, while the other was last season.

Dodgers Starting Lineup

1. Shohei Ohtani, DH
2. Will Smith, C
3. Freddie Freeman, 1B
4. Andy Pages, CF
5. Teoscar Hernández, LF
6. Kyle Tucker, RF
7. Miguel Rojas, SS
8. Max Muncy, 3B
9. Santiago Espinal, 2B

The Dodgers are shaking up the lineup, with Smith moved up to the No. 2 hole and Pages hitting cleanup above Hernández.

Moreover, Tucker has been dropped all the way to the sixth spot, while Espinal is starting at second base over Alex Freeland.

Rojas is starting at shortstop over Hyeseong Kim with the left-handed Sale on the mound.

Expect both Kim and Freeland to potentially enter the game as pinch-hitters when Sale exits the game.

How to Watch Dodgers vs Braves on Friday

First pitch for Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Atlanta Braves on Friday, May 8 is 7:10 p.m. PT/10:10 p.m. ET.

The game will be broadcast on SportsNet LA and in the MLB App.

The game will be broadcast on the radio on AM570 (in English) and KTNQ 1020 AM (in Spanish).

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