Dodgers replace injured Seager with Culberson for Game 1
Gary A. Vasquez / Reuters
With Corey Seager officially ruled out of the National League Championship Series because of an injured back, the Los Angeles Dodgers will turn to Charlie Culberson to replace him in Game 1 against the Chicago Cubs.
The 28-year-old Culberson will play short and hit eighth for the Dodgers against Cubs left-hander Jose Quintana.
| ORDER | PLAYER | POSITION |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Taylor | CF |
| 2 | Justin Turner | 3B |
| 3 | Cody Bellinger | 1B |
| 4 | Kike Hernandez | LF |
| 5 | Logan Forsythe | 2B |
| 6 | Austin Barnes | C |
| 7 | Yasiel Puig | RF |
| 8 | Charlie Culberson | SS |
| 9 | Clayton Kershaw | P |
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts waited until less than three hours before the 8 p.m. ET start time to announce his starting lineup, claiming there was a "little gamesmanship" going on between him and Joe Maddon, reports Scott MIller of Bleacher Report.
Seager, who was not named as part of the championship series roster, was one of the Dodgers' top offensive weapons throughout the regular season.
| PLAYER | PA | H | HR | RBI | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corey Seager | 613 | 159 | 22 | 77 | .854 |
| Charlie Culberson | 15 | 2 | 0 | 1 | .497 |