Dodgers vs. Cardinals Lineup: Freeland Returns, Sasaki Starts

May 1, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) looks on during a game against the St. Louis Cardinals in the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

Dodgers lineup vs. Cardinals on Saturday

1. Shohei Ohtani DH
2. Freddie Freeeman 1B
3. Will Smith C
4. Kyle Tucker RF
5. Tesocar Hernandez LF
6. Max Muncy 3B
7. Andy Pages CF
8. Hyeseong Kim SS
9. Alex Freeland 2B

SP: Roki Sasaki RHP

The Dodgers’ star has not been delivering at the top of the order recently. Instead, it has been Max Muncy and Andy Pages, along with moments from Hyeseong Kim and Alex Freeland, that have put real pressure on the opposing pitchers.

In the first game of the series, Freddie Freeman was the most standout hitter as he turned the hard contact into a couple of hits. Ohtani, Smith, and Tucker did not have the same success.

Santiago Espinal got a rare start at second base on Friday, though he has struggled to get his bat going.

Alex Freeland takes over on Saturday, who has not put together a great season thus far, but he has gotten hot for a few games, which has helped spark the offense.

The Dodgers are facing a righty in Michael McGreevy, which will give Kim the start and means Miguel Rojas will be available off the bench.

The offense will be to score a handful of runs with Roki Sasaki on the mound. The Japanese pitcher has been promising for moments, but he has really struggled to put together a fully clean outing.

Ohtani and Tucker, who have a favorable matchup, along with Freeman, are the three key players who can really catch fire and will eventually do so. However, the impatience in the fanbase is growing.

Hopefully, it starts on Saturday.

What are your thoughts on the game?