Dodgers Make Kyle Tucker Announcement Before Game 1

The Los Angeles Dodgers released their lineup for Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, and the placement of Kyle Tucker once again drew attention.

Manager Dave Roberts slotted the outfielder eighth in the order despite the presence of right-hander Jacob Misiorowski on the mound for Milwaukee, a matchup that might otherwise favor a left-handed bat higher in the lineup, via Underdog MLB.

Tucker has occupied that lower spot throughout the postseason, including during the Dodgers’ series against the Atlanta Braves.

The decision keeps him in right field while the top of the order features Mookie Betts at shortstop, Freddie Freeman at first base, Will Smith catching, and Shohei Ohtani as the designated hitter batting cleanup. Teoscar Hernández, Max Muncy, and Andy Pages follow before Tucker, with Enrique Hernández handling second base in place of the unavailable Tommy Edman and Miguel Rojas.

Tarik Skubal, acquired from Detroit at the trade deadline, starts for Los Angeles opposite Misiorowski in the series opener at American Family Field.

The arrangement reflects a broader pattern for Tucker in his first season with the Dodgers. After signing a four-year, $240 million contract in free agency, choosing the defending champions over longer offers elsewhere, he posted a .233 batting average with 17 home runs and 70 RBIs across 154 regular-season games.

Those numbers fell short of the production many expected from a player who had delivered multiple 30-home-run seasons earlier in his career. Roberts and the front office have nonetheless kept him in the everyday mix, banking on the October performance that motivated the signing in the first place.

Tucker has shown signs of that form since early September and carried it into the Division Series. He went 5-for-15 with a home run, two RBIs, and two stolen bases against Atlanta, batting .333 in limited action.

Those at-bats included a two-run homer in the series opener at Dodger Stadium.

With the Dodgers seeking a third consecutive World Series appearance, the NLCS against a Brewers club that won 103 games offers the clearest stage yet for the 29-year-old to justify the investment.

A productive stretch against Milwaukee’s pitching staff would quiet questions about his regular-season output and reinforce the club’s bet that his best baseball remains ahead.

For now, the eighth spot keeps Tucker in the lineup without disrupting the balance Roberts has settled on for the series.

Both clubs enter the matchup after efficient Division Series victories, and the early pitching duel between Skubal and Misiorowski sets a high bar for the hitters behind them.

Tucker’s ability to contribute from the lower third of the order will factor into whether Los Angeles can seize an early advantage on the road.