Joc Pederson was not in the lineup Friday against the Dodgers, taking a day off as Texas opened its three-game set in Los Angeles.
The move came two days after Pederson went 0-for-2 on Wednesday and saw his three-game hitting streak come to an end. Andrew McCutchen stepped in as the designated hitter and batted fifth, giving Texas a different look at a spot that had recently been productive.
Pederson’s absence was a routine breather, not a change in status, but it altered the top half of the order right away. McCutchen’s assignment at designated hitter and in the fifth spot showed how Texas chose to cover for him at the start of a series that begins on the road and leaves little room for slow starts.
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For Pederson, the night off was the kind of reset teams often use early in a series. For Texas, it meant a lineup shuffle against the Dodgers before the matchup had even settled into its first game.
