Dodgers Lineup – Hyeseong Kim and Alex Freeland are out as the Dodgers face the Cardinals, with lineup shuffling and a key pitching matchup on tap.
Dodgers–Cardinals games always carry a little extra edge, and Friday’s series opener adds a fresh wrinkle with two notable absences from Los Angeles’ lineup.
Misryoum reports that the Dodgers will open a three-game set in St.. Louis at the start of a busy stretch in the second full month of the 2026 season.. Los Angeles arrives in a slightly shaky moment. after winning just 6 of its last 13 games. including two series losses. while the Cardinals have been rolling following a four-game sweep.
In this context, the Dodgers’ focus is clear: they need to stop the momentum shift before it becomes a bigger story than the standings already suggest. Meanwhile, St. Louis is playing with confidence, and that matters on both sides of the ball.
On Friday’s mound, right-hander Emmet Sheehan takes the start for the Dodgers in his sixth outing of the season.. His numbers this year include a 4.78 ERA across 26.1 innings. along with a strikeout-to-walk profile that reflects both swing-and-miss ability and the occasional free pass.. After a tougher beginning to the season. Sheehan has shown marked improvement in his most recent two starts. including his best outing to date.
The opposing starter is Cardinals left-hander Matthew Liberatore, making his seventh start. Liberatore’s 2026 line includes a 4.75 ERA over 30.1 innings, with strikeouts balancing out against walks. In his last start, he ran into trouble early, allowing multiple runs over just over three innings.
This matchup is significant because it sets up how both lineups will try to attack. If the early innings turn into a settled rhythm for either pitcher, the rest of the game can swing quickly.
The Dodgers’ batting order features a left-right adjustment as well as positional changes.. Shohei Ohtani leads off as the DH, with Freddie Freeman and Will Smith following.. Teoscar Hernández remains in the middle of the lineup. while Kyle Tucker shifts to the fifth spot due to the order change.. Andy Pages and Max Muncy also swap positions.
Misryoum adds that Hyeseong Kim and Alex Freeland are out of the lineup. and that Miguel Rojas and Santiago Espinal step in at shortstop and second base. respectively.. With those changes. Los Angeles is also leaning into how it has performed against left-handed pitching this season. aiming to keep that advantage working from the first plate appearance.
At the end of the day, these are the kinds of games that define a series: pitching that either steadies or rattles, and lineups that either match up or force adjustments. For Dodgers fans, Friday is the start of finding answers quickly in St. Louis.