Jose Franco set for bulk relief outing vs. Guards

Ohtani left a game on July 3 because of biceps discomfort, but it was a hitting issue and not supposed to be pitching-related. If the Dodgers are now concerned about it in terms of his pitching, then any sort of quick return to the mound seems highly unlikely. All signs point to him remaining in the lineup as a designated hitter, however.

Canzone took Justin Wrobleski deep for a solo homer in the sixth inning to tie the game. With the game still tied in the eighth, he went deep once again, blasting a two-run shot off Alex Vesia to put the Mariners ahead. Both home runs came off a left-handed pitcher. The 28-year-old outfielder is up to 18 homers and 49 RBI while hitting .263/.333/.530 across 297 plate appearances.

Rodríguez led off the fourth inning with a solo homer off Justin Wrobleski. He later added a single in the eighth before stealing second and scoring. The 25-year-old outfielder is up to 16 homers, 51 runs scored, 46 RBI, and 13 steals while slashing .257/.317/.425 across 419 plate appearances.

Ohtani got the scoring started in this one, taking Luis Castillo deep for a solo homer to lead off the bottom of the first inning. After he was intentionally walked in the third, he knocked a base hit in the fourth to drive in another run before collecting his third RBI on a double in the ninth. After the game, the 32-year-old star stated he was dealing with a right biceps issue along with the left knee injury, keeping him from throwing since last week. Still, he continues to perform at the plate, slashing .286/.391/.533 with 23 homers, 67 runs scored, 64 RBI, and six steals across 452 plate appearances.

Muñoz was summoned to close out the game against the Dodgers with a two-run lead. He started the inning with a single and a double that brought a run in for the Dodgers. Muñoz then retired the next two batters before working around a walk to convert his 19th save. The one run allowed snaps a 13-inning scoreless streak that dated back to June 16.

Castillo gave up a leadoff homer to Shohei Ohtani in the bottom of the first inning. He then loaded the bases with no outs in the third, but came out of it with just one more run allowed on a groundout. The Dodgers would add two more runs in the fourth, followed by a solo homer by Max Muncy in the fifth. Castillo’s day would be done after five frames, giving up 11 hits and issuing two walks while collecting just two strikeouts. The 33-year-old right-hander will take a 5.06 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, and an 86/32 K/BB ratio across 99 2/3 innings into a start against the Tigers in Seattle next Tuesday.

Wrobleski was hurt by the long ball on Tuesday. He surrendered a solo homer to Cal Raleigh in the second inning. Julio Rodríguez added a solo homer in the fourth, followed by a two-run shot by Rob Refsnyder. Dominic Canzone later got to Wrobleski for a solo homer in the sixth. Still, he managed to collect seven strikeouts over six innings of work. The 26-year-old left-hander will take a 2.88 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and an 87/21 K/BB ratio across 112 2/3 innings into a start against the Red Sox in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Tatis had come into this game hitless over his last three games. He made up for it against the Rockies, collecting hits in all five of his plate appearances while driving in two runs and crossing home once. The 27-year-old star is slashing .285/.353/.400 with eight homers, 54 runs scored, 49 RBI, and 25 steals across 469 plate appearances.

García and Dylan Crews went back-to-back in the fourth inning, though it was off different pitchers after CJ Van Eyk replaced Mason Fluharty. The two-run shot for García gave him 73 RBI, tying him for fifth in the majors. He’s already three ahead of his previous career high for 70 RBI in 140 games in 2024.

Cavalli’s fourth straight quality start saw him settle for just three strikeouts, but it wasn’t an issue against the often-punchless Blue Jays. He finishes the month of July 3-0 with a 3.08 ERA in five starts. Next up for him is a start in Atlanta. He fanned 10 while allowing two runs over five innings in his previous start against the Braves back in April.