Dodgers Make Strategic Lineup Decision Before Facing Pirates Paul Skenes

The Los Angeles Dodgers are making a notable lineup decision against one of baseball’s toughest assignments, inserting rookie Ryan Ward into the starting lineup Tuesday night against Pittsburgh Pirates ace and reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes. The move gives Dodgers manager Dave Roberts seven left-handed batters in his lineup against the Pirates’ 6-foot-6, 260-pound fireballer.

For Ward, the start represents the latest step in a seven-year journey through the Dodgers’ farm system and his toughest challenge yet, coming against a pitcher who has consistently dominated Los Angeles throughout his young career.

In Skenes’ fifth career start against the Dodgers, Roberts may find little advantage in fielding the lefty-heavy lineup. This season, the right-handed Skenes has been almost equally dominant against hitters on both sides of the plate.

As for Ward, the 28-year-old rookie will make only his eighth career start. After years of waiting for his opportunity while the Dodgers’ roster remained stacked with all-stars and proven veterans, he finally got his shot when an injury to Teoscar Hernández forced Los Angeles’ hand in late May. Since his call-up, the 28-year-old Massachusetts-born Bryant University product has made a solid case to stay in the majors.

Ward’s Seven-Year Journey to the Majors

Ward was an eighth-round draft pick in 2019 who spent his first seven professional seasons climbing through the Dodgers’ farm system. His breakthrough came last year when Ward was named the Pacific Coast League MVP after slugging 36 home runs with 122 RBIs and a .290 average for Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Even with that credential, the Dodgers optioned him back to Oklahoma City after spring training. Even dominant production at Triple-A wasn’t enough to crack a roster stacked with all-stars and proven veterans. The organization’s depth meant Ward remained blocked despite putting up numbers that would earn him a call-up from most teams. When Hernández went down with an injury, Ward got his chance. In seven games since the call-up, he’s hitting .272 with two home runs and six RBIs. His OPS of .940 suggests he’s more than a placeholder, proof that those seven years were building toward a potentially sustainable MLB career.

GettyDodgers rookie Ryan Ward, called up after seven seasons in the organization’s farm system, gets one of the biggest tests of his young MLB career against reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes.

Skenes’ Dominance Against Los Angeles

Now Ward must face the 24-year-old right-hander who has proven to be a particular problem for the Dodgers. The Pirates’ ace is 3-1 with a 2.70 ERA and 33 strikeouts in four career appearances against the back-to-back World Series champions.

Skenes’ 2026 season, however, has felt slightly off from his usual trajectory. His 2.83 ERA is the highest of his young career, a marked step up from his rookie 1.96 mark and his 1.97 Cy Young-winning season last year. But the underlying numbers suggest he is pitching better than his surface stats indicate. His expected ERA sits at 2.30, well below his actual ERA, implying he’s been somewhat unlucky. The Pirates are in the middle of a five-game losing streak, and Skenes hasn’t recorded a win since May 12.

Against left-handed hitters this season, Skenes has allowed an OPS of .554, essentially the same as the .551 OPS against righties. So Roberts’ ploy of fielding seven left-handed hitters may not do the Dodgers any good.

Read More From Heavy

Braves Legend Gives Dodgers Edge in NL Despite Atlanta’s MLB-Best Record

Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.

This article was originally published on HEAVY

The post Dodgers Make Strategic Lineup Decision Before Facing Pirates Paul Skenes appeared first on HEAVY.