Alex

Call

Call was eligible for arbitration for the first time as a Super Two player. The 31-year-old hit .267/.361/.385 in 322 plate appearances for the Nationals and Dodgers last season, and he’ll stick around in Los Angeles as a likely starter against left-handed pitchers, depending on how exactly the Dodgers round out their outfield.

The Dodgers have switched up their starting nine for the first time since sitting Max Muncy against a lefty in Game 4 of the NLDS against the Phillies. Call started that one over Muncy, but tonight he’s playing over Pages, who is 4-for-50 with one RBI and no walks in the postseason. The other change is moving up Smith and dropping Mookie Betts, though only to the third spot. The lineup: Shohei Ohtani (DH), Smith (C), Betts (SS), Freddie Freeman (1B), Teoscar Hernández (RF), Tommy Edman (2B), Muncy (3B), Kiké Hernandez (CF) and Call (LF).

Call is back in there against Cristopher Sánchez, whom he faced in Game 1 before sitting against another lefty in Jesús Luzardo in Game 2 and a righty in Game 3. With Call in left and Max Muncy sitting for third time this series, Kiké Hernández is playing third base. Miguel Rojas is on the bench.

Smith told reporters he’s available off the bench to pinch-hit and catch but Los Angeles is clearly going to limit his workload for the moment as he returns to game action for the first time since early September due to a hairline fracture in his right hand. Here’s the full lineup that will face Phillies lefty ace Cristopher Sánchez on Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park: Shohei Ohtani (DH/P), Mookie Betts (SS), Teoscar Hernández (RF), Freddie Freeman (1B), Tommy Edman (2B), Enrique Hernández (3B), Alex Call (LF), Andy Pages (CF) and Ben Rortvedt (C).

It appears to be nothing more than a routine day off for the 32-year-old slugger. Alex Call will start in his place in right field and will bat eighth for the Dodgers against Trevor McDonald and the Giants.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Hernández is getting some extra time off as part of an extended mental reset amid a disastrous 3-for-27 stretch at the plate. It’ll be Alex Call taking over in right field on Sunday afternoon.

Call sat out Wednesday’s game after suffering a lower back injury on Tuesday, but it appears to have been only a minor issue. The 30-year-old has hit .278/.381/.444 with a homer and three RBI in 43 plate appearances since joining the Dodgers at the trade deadline.

Call has done a nice job for the Dodgers, batting .278/.381/.444 with one homer and one steal in 17 games since coming over from the Nationals at last month’s trade deadline. He suffered a lower back injury during Tuesday’s game and is likely to need at least a couple games off.

Hernández will get the afternoon matinee off after slugging his 21st dinger of the season during Wednesday night’s showdown. He’s gone deep three times over his last seven contests. It’ll be Alex Call patrolling right field on Thursday in his place.

Call got the start in left field with a left-hander on the mound for the Rockies. He led off the second inning with a solo homer off Austin Gomber, then drove in a second run on a base hit in the third. After knocking a double in the fifth, he singled and scored in the seventh to complete a four-hit day. The 30-year-old outfielder has been limited to a short-side platoon with the Dodgers, going 4-for-23 with the team coming into Tuesday’s contest.