Trending Now - Dodgers Shift Kyle Tucker in Batting Order Amid Struggles

WHO:

MLB.com - Kyle Tucker, Freddie Freeman, Dave Roberts, Shohei Ohtani, Edwin Díaz, Tanner Scott, Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia, Roki Sasaki, Will Klein, Edgardo Henriquez, Kyle Hurt, Brock Stewart, Evan Phillips, Brusdar Graterol.

WHAT:

MLB.com - The Dodgers shifted Kyle Tucker down to the cleanup spot and moved Freddie Freeman up to the two-hole in the batting order.

MLB.com - Tucker signed a four-year, $240 million deal with the Dodgers.

MLB.com - Tucker entered the game hitting .233 with a .676 OPS in 23 games.

MLB.com - Freeman entered the game hitting .299 with an .877 OPS in 22 games.

MLB.com - The Dodgers lost four of their last five games and combined for one run on seven hits in the first two games of the series against the Giants.

MLB.com - Edwin Díaz will be out until after the All-Star break due to a procedure to remove loose bodies from his right elbow.

MLB.com - The Dodgers will use a closer-by-committee approach in Díaz's absence, with Tanner Scott likely to get more save opportunities.

MLB.com - Scott has a 0.93 ERA through his first 11 outings in 2026.

WHERE:

MLB.com - The lineup change occurred during a game at Oracle Park in San Francisco.

WHEN:

MLB.com - The lineup change was announced on Thursday, April 21st, 2026.

MLB.com - Díaz's procedure took place on Wednesday, April 19th, 2026.

WHY:

MLB.com - The change in the batting order was made to help Kyle Tucker, who was described as “just not comfortable” and struggling at the plate.

MLB.com - Roberts indicated that Tucker was trying to do too much and that the change might help him regain his form.

HOW:

MLB.com - The Dodgers are implementing a closer-by-committee approach to manage save situations in Díaz's absence.

(UPDATED April 23, 2026 23:19 UTC)

The Dodgers have made a significant change to their batting order, moving Kyle Tucker down to the cleanup spot and promoting Freddie Freeman to the two-hole, as they look to turn around their recent struggles after losing four of their last five games. Tucker, who signed a four-year, $240 million deal with the Dodgers, has been struggling at the plate with a .233 batting average, while Freeman is performing well at .299. Additionally, Edwin Díaz will be sidelined until after the All-Star break due to elbow surgery, prompting the team to adopt a closer-by-committee strategy, with Tanner Scott expected to take on more save opportunities.