It will be an interesting weekend of baseball in the NL West, as the biggest rivals in the division take each other on in a three-game series that starts on Friday night.
The NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers travel to San Diego to take on the Padres this weekend. Ahead of Friday’s matchup, the Dodgers received a crucial lineup update on outfielder Kyle Tucker.
After missing the final two games of the Dodgers’ series sweep over the Minnesota Twins, Tucker will return to Los Angeles’ lineup, The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya reports.
Tucker will bat sixth for the Dodgers.
Kyle Tucker Returns to Dodgers’ Lineup After Missing Time With Back Spasms
GettyLos Angeles Dodgers outfielder Kyle Tucker will return to the club’s lineup on Friday night against the San Diego Padres after missing the previous two games with back spasms. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
Kyle Tucker, 29, exited the Dodgers’ 2-1 win over the Minnesota Twins in the second inning on Monday due to back spasms, MLB.com’s Courtney Hollman wrote.
The $240 million man, whom the Dodgers brought in this offseason to help bolster the outfield, left the field while running the bases after a Tommy Edman single. Alex Call replaced him for the rest of the contest.
Manager Dave Roberts said that Tucker would remain out for the rest of the series against the Twins. This report was confirmed as the Dodgers went on to sweep the series without him.
There’s no need to stress. Three days of rest and recovery has led to Kyle Tucker’s return to the lineup for the Dodgers in a highly anticipated matchup against the San Diego Padres.
In his first year with the Dodgers, Tucker hasn’t seemed to find the same All-Star-caliber stride he had with the Chicago Cubs in 2025. Through 75 games, Tucker’s batting .234/.333/.374 while hitting six home runs, 40 RBI, and six stolen bases.
Roki Sasaki, Dodgers Look to Open Series Against Walker Buehler and the Padres
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Walker Buehler will get the start on Friday as he takes on the team he spent the first seven big league seasons of his career with, the Los Angeles Dodgers. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Dodgers will have right-handed pitcher Roki Sasaki on the mound going against Dodgers legend, now with the Padres, Walker Buehler.
Buehler, 31, has bounced around the MLB since leaving the Dodgers in the 2024 offseason. He struggled in stints with the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies in 2025, but has since turned things around with the San Diego Padres this season.
Through 15 starts, Buehler carries a 4-3 record, 3.96 ERA, and 1.32 WHIP across 72.2 innings pitched.
After an impressive shutout start in a win over the Los Angeles Angels to begin June, Roki Sasaki struggled to find the same success in his last two outings.
He gave up seven hits, three walks, and seven earned runs over 4.1 innings in a loss to the Chicago White Sox on June 12. This was followed by giving up four hits, one walk, and three earned runs through 5.2 innings in a win over the Baltimore Orioles on June 19.
He will look to turn things around to open up the series against the Padres.
Dodgers Provide Kyle Tucker Injury Update Ahead of Padres Series