Time: 07:10 P.M. EST Venue: Great American Ball Park
CINCINNATI -- When the Los Angeles Dodgers arrive in Cincinnati for a four-game weekend series beginning Friday, Clayton Kershaw will be with them. Kershaw, who's been on the disabled list since June 27 with a herniated disk, has been throwing off flat ground. On Saturday, he'll throw off the mound for the first time since going on the disabled list with a light bullpen session. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Kershaw so far is pain-free. A rehab assignment is still possible if Kershaw is ready before the minor league seasons end." Our expectation is that he would go out there and face hitters," Roberts told MLB.com on Thursday. "As we look at the calendar, we feel that there's time for Clayton to make a couple, two, three starts before the end of the season." Another starter returns for Los Angeles on Friday. Right-hander Bud Norris completed his rehab stint at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Aug. 13. He hasn't pitched for Los Angeles since July 31 when he was pulled from his start in the first inning and placed on the DL with a mild back strain. Norris faces Cincinnati for the second time this season. On June 15 while with the Braves, Norris allowed three runs and three hits in five innings in a 9-8 Atlanta victory. In 10 appearances (nine starts) against the Reds, Norris is 1-3 with a 4.41 ERA and 49 strikeouts and 19 walks in 49 innings. He'll face a Cincinnati club which is playing better baseball since the All-Star break, despite several minor injuries. Cincinnati ranks eighth in the major leagues and third in the National League with a .269 batting average with runners in scoring position." I wish I had an answer (for that)," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "If I had, I would say, 'This is what we're going to do all the time.' Maybe it's more focused at bats. The guys are listening to what (batting coach) Don (Long) is saying. If it was as easy as having a philosophy, we would've been doing it for the past 150 years." Reds right-hander Tim Adleman who was recalled this week from Triple-A Louisville, makes his first career appearance against the Dodgers on Friday. It's the fifth career start for Adleman, who was a non-roster invitee to spring training. Adleman hasn't started for the Reds since May 19 when he left with a strained oblique and was placed on the DL the following day. He made six rehab starts before being activated then optioned to Triple-A. Cincinnati took three of four from the Miami Marlins and has gone 19-12 while winning eight of 10 series since the All-Star break." We've been firing on all cylinders," Reds right-hander Dan Straily said. "We finally have a group of guys here who are playing really well. This is how we expected to play." The National-League West leading Dodgers, though, have won nine straight games and three straight series against the Reds. In May, Los Angeles swept Cincinnati at Dodger Stadium for the first time since 2009.
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