Dodgers lineup: Teoscar Hernandez returns, batting 2nd

Kyle Madson

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Dodgers lineup: Teoscar Hernandez returns, batting 2nd image

Teoscar Hernandez will be back in the Dodgers lineup for their series finale against the White Sox. 

Hernandez was absent for the first game of the series to attend his grandfather's funeral in the Dominican Republic. He returned to the team Tuesday, but didn't play in the club's 4-3 win in Chicago. 

Now he's back in the lineup and will bat in the No. 2 spot behind Shohei Ohtani. Here's a look at the batting order as Los Angeles tries for a sweep of the White Sox: 

1. Shohei Ohtani, DH
2. Teoscar Hernandez, LF
3. Freddie Freeman, 1B
4. Jason Heyward, RF
5. Andy Pages, CF
6. Gavin Lux, 2B
7. Miguel Rojas, SS
8. Kiké Hernandez, 3B
9. Austin Barnes, C

This will mark only the second time all season Hernandez hit in the No. 2 hole. His only other game there resulted in an 0-for-4 finish with two strikeouts. 

For his career Hernandez has started 42 games batting second. He has a .233 average, a .290 on-base percentage and a .728 OPS out of that spot. He has six home runs with 14 walks and 60 strikeouts in 193 plate appearances. 

Another interesting note in Wednesday's lineup is that Heyward will bat cleanup. This is the first time he's hit above No. 5 in the order this season. It's also a relative rarity in his career. Wednesday is Heyward's 57th ever start out of the cleanup spot. The only place he's started fewer games is in the No. 9 spot. 

As a cleanup man, Heyward is batting .266 with a .352 OBP and a .712 OPS in his career. He has three home runs in 231 plate appearances. 

The Dodgers will aim for a sweep of the White Sox square off at Guaranteed Rate Field. First pitch is slated for 5:10pm Pacific Time.

Kyle Madson

Kyle Madson Photo

Kyle Madson neither likes writing about himself nor writing in the third person. Nevertheless, he persists. While Kyle has spent most of his writing career covering the NFL’s Tennessee Titans and San Francisco 49ers, he’s never lost the love of baseball that has resided in the deepest recesses of his soul since he began playing T-ball at 4 years old (no matter how hard John Fisher has tried). Aside from writing, Kyle also hosts a radio show, the Insiders, with James Ham on ESPN 1320 in Sacramento. When he’s not being a sports dork, Kyle loves being a normal dork and traveling, visiting museums, diving further into K-Pop fandom (#SKZ) and hanging out with his wife and cats. Don’t follow him on Twitter or Instagram at @KyleAMadson.