Kansas City Royals at Los Angeles Dodgers

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
KC	1	0	2	0	0	0	2	0	0	5	6	0
LAD	0	0	2	0	0	3	1	0	—	6	10	0

Noah Cameron and Tarik Skubal are trending in opposite directions right now. Cameron is riding the best start of his season — 8 innings, 1 earned run, 9 strikeouts against Minnesota last time out — while Skubal, the Dodgers' big trade deadline pickup, took the loss in his Dodgers debut despite 6 solid innings against the Cubs. First pitch is 7:10 PM PT at Dodger Stadium, and both guys need this one to feel like a turning point.

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FINAL

Spread

ML

Total

Royals(49-70)

LWLLW

5

+1.5+117+259o7.5+122

Dodgers(70-48)

LWLLL

6

-1.5-122-251u7.5-120

Best BetDodgers -317

Pregame

Skubal and the Dodgers are steep favorites here, but that's the point — Skubal's stuff is on a different level than what Kansas City's lineup has faced this year, and the Royals are missing two regulars in the middle of their order. Kansas City's plus-money price is tempting on paper against a team that's lost 4 of its last 5, but a shorthanded 49-70 club catching an ace on the road is a tough sell.

Reinforcements are coming for LA, just not tonight — Blake Snell is reportedly set to return from the injured list Tuesday, which would ease a rotation that's been running thin. That doesn't fix the bullpen problem in front of Skubal right now: Will Klein got rocked before landing on the IL, and the relief corps is dealing with more names out than in. Kansas City's pen has its own issues with Nick Mears and Carlos Estevez both on extended absences, but Alex Lange has quietly locked down the ninth when the Royals have needed him.

Noah Cameron

(8-8)·4.02 ERA

Aug 5 vs Twins

W

8.0IP

1ER

9K

1BB

106P

08/10 Lineup

Tarik Skubal

(7-7)·2.85 ERA

Aug 4 @ Cubs

L

6.0IP

2ER

6K

2BB

85P

08/10 Lineup

None of that has stopped the market from treating this like a mismatch, with LA still the heavy favorite to get right on both ends tonight. The Royals need a lot to go right against Skubal's stuff just to keep it competitive.

Kansas City Royals

(49-70)

Aug 9Lvs Cubs2-10

Aug 8Wvs Cubs6-3

Aug 8Lvs Cubs4-6

Aug 6Lvs Twins3-4

Aug 5Wvs Twins2-1

Los Angeles Dodgers

(70-48)

Aug 9L@ Diamondbacks2-4

Aug 9W@ Diamondbacks2-1

Aug 8L@ Diamondbacks3-4

Aug 5L@ Cubs6-7

Aug 5L@ Cubs1-5

Bobby Witt Jr. is the reason to actually watch Kansas City's offense. He returned from back tightness and immediately delivered a 2-run double in an 8-2 win over the Twins, and he's the one player capable of making Skubal's night miserable by himself. The rest of the lineup is short-handed — Vinnie Pasquantino and Maikel Garcia are both still out — which puts even more on Witt's bat.

Kansas City Royals

(12)

• 10-Day-ILMaikel Garcia (3B) — Royals manager Matt Quatraro said that Garcia (hand) could resume his rehab assignment at Triple-A Omaha as soon as Wednesday, Pete Grathoff of The Kansas City Star reports.08/09
• 10-Day-ILVinnie Pasquantino (1B) — Royals manager Matt Quatraro said Pasquantino (wrist) may begin a minor-league rehab assignment Tuesday, Jaylon T. Thompson of The Kansas City Star reports.08/08
• 15-Day-ILBeck Way (RP) — Way (back) is scheduled to start throwing Wednesday, per MLB.com.08/05
• 60-Day-ILLuinder Avila (SP) — Manager Matt Quatraro said that Avila is scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Wednesday, Joel Goldberg of Bally Sports Kansas City reports.08/06
• 60-Day-ILNick Mears (RP) — Mears (shoulder) is scheduled to begin a mound progression next week, MLB.com reports.08/05
• 60-Day-ILCarlos Estevez (RP) — Estevez (shoulder) is scheduled to start a mound progression Friday, MLB.com reports.08/05
• 60-Day-ILStephen Kolek (SP) — Manager Matt Quatraro announced that Kolek is scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Wednesday, Joel Goldberg of Bally Sports Kansas City reports.08/04
• 60-Day-ILConnor Seabold (RP) — The Royals placed Seabold on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with a right lat strain.08/03
• 60-Day-ILCole Ragans (SP) — Ragans underwent UCL repair surgery on his left elbow Wednesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.07/02
• 60-Day-ILJonathan India (2B) — no06/04
• 60-Day-ILJames McArthur (RP) — McArthur (elbow) underwent surgery Friday to help combat continued soreness and inflammation, MLB.com reports.05/25
• 60-Day-ILAlec Marsh (SP) — The Royals placed Marsh (shoulder) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.05/08

Los Angeles Dodgers

(13)

• 10-Day-ILDalton Rushing (C) — Manager Dave Roberts said Rushing (elbow) has a "very small" chance of being able to play catcher again this season, but the Dodgers are hopeful that the 25-year-old can serve as a left-handed option off the bench if he's able to return from the 10-day injured list, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.08/05
• 15-Day-ILWill Klein (RP) — Klein underwent an MRI that revealed bone chips in his elbow, and the Dodgers are now deciding the next steps for his recovery, with surgery being an option, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.08/09
• 15-Day-ILBrock Stewart (RP) — MRI results on Stewart's right shoulder revealed tendinitis Saturday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.08/01
• 15-Day-ILBlake Treinen (RP) — Treinen (elbow) will face live hitters Wednesday, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.07/29
• 60-Day-ILTyler Glasnow (SP) — Glasnow (back) pitched 2.2 innings, allowing one run on one hit and a walk while striking out two batters in Sunday's rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City.08/10
• 60-Day-ILBlake Snell (SP) — Snell (elbow) will return from the injured list to start Tuesday's game against the Royals, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.08/08
• 60-Day-ILGavin Stone (SP) — Stone (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday.08/06
• 60-Day-ILBobby Miller (SP) — Miller (shoulder/back) allowed a solo home run and struck out three over two innings in his first rehab appearance with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday.08/06
• 60-Day-ILKris Bubic (SP) — The Dodgers acquired Bubic (shoulder/elbow) from the Royals on Monday in exchange for right-hander Carlos Duran, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.08/03
• 60-Day-ILBen Casparius (RP) — Casparius (shoulder) made the third appearance of his rehab assignment Friday with Triple-A Oklahoma City, allowing one earned run on no hits and four walks while recording just one out.08/02
• 60-Day-ILWill Smith (C) — Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that Smith (neck) will need at least 3-to-4 weeks to ramp back up to full speed, including a rehab assignment, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.08/01
• 60-Day-ILBrusdar Graterol (RP) — Graterol (shoulder) underwent surgery recently for a back injury he suffered while on a rehab assignment, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.06/01
• 60-Day-ILJake Cousins (RP) — The Dodgers transferred Cousins (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.05/08

Dodger Stadium under the lights in August is still Dodger Stadium — Ohtani, Betts and Freeman aren't walking into a must-win. But there's a real staring-at-the-standings mood in that clubhouse right now, 1-4 in the last 5 and losers of their last game. Kansas City's playing out the string at 49-70, and nobody outside Missouri thinks tonight changes that math.