Dodgers-Braves lineups announced for tonight’s game

Gosh, I hope Don Mattingly filled out his lineup card properly or else he’ll have to answer to Brian McCann:

Dodgers:

Carl Crawford LF
Mark Ellis 2B
Hanley Ramirez SS
Adrian Gonzalez 1B
Yasiel Puig RF
Juan Uribe 3B
Skip Schumaker CF
A.J. Ellis C
Clayton Kershaw P

Skip Schumaker in center, starting is not how the Dodgers would prefer it, but given that Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier are hurt, that’s life.

Braves:

Jason Heyward CF
Justin Upton RF
Freddie Freeman 1B
Evan Gattis LF
Brian McCann C
Chris Johnson 3B
Andrelton Simmons SS
Eliot Johnson 2B
Kris Medlen P

The offense-first lineup, with Gattis in left and B.J. Upton sent out to go get everyone pizza or something and ordered to stay out unless and until the Braves have a lead in late innings in which he may be allowed to play some defense.

Play ball.

The Royals are in agreement with right-handed reliever Drew Storen on a minor league deal, the team announced Friday. Per Jon Heyman of MLB Network, the deal is worth $1.25 million if the veteran righty breaks camp with the club this spring. Additional, albeit unspecified incentives will be included in the contract as well.

Storen, 31, is coming off of a protracted absence from any MLB duties. After inking a one-year deal with the Reds in 2017, he sustained a right elbow sprain toward the end of the year and underwent Tommy John surgery that October. He was effectively decommissioned for the club’s entire 2018 run and generated little interest around the league this winter, perhaps due in part to the uninspired 4.45 ERA, 3.8 BB/9, 7.9 SO/9, and career-low -0.2 fWAR he posted across 54 2/3 innings during his last healthy season.

While it’s not immediately clear what kind of performance the Royals can expect from Storen in spring training, they’re not exactly in a position to be choosy. Their bullpen ranked dead last among all MLB teams with a collective 5.04 ERA, 4.85 FIP, and -2.2 fWAR last year, and still appears to be in a state of flux as they approach Opening Day. Skipper Ned Yost told reporters Wednesday that he intends to eschew the traditional closer appointment in 2019 and will instead utilize a combination of right-handers Wily Peralta and Brad Boxberger, lefty Tim Hill, and various others as he tackles high-leverage situations in the future.