The Los Angeles Dodgers thought they might be able to take their time integrating one of their top pitching prospects, Walker Buehler, into the starting rotation. But that has not been the case, because of the rash of injuries that have really impeded the Dodgers' attempt to repeat as National League champions. On Thursday night, Buehler, who is coming off his most impressive outing yet, will take the mound against the Cincinnati Reds in a game that begins at 10:10 PM ET at Dodger Stadium.

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The Dodgers have just ended a three-game losing streak, beating Arizona, the first-place team in the NL West, by a 6-3 count. They are 16-20, trailing the D-Backs by eight games, and they have suffered from a starting rotation that has been disrupted. To begin with, Clayton Kershaw is out with biceps tendinitis. Rich Hill has been out (though set to return next week) and Hyun-Jin Ryu has a groin injury. So they have had to rely on Buehler, who played his collegiate ball at Vanderbilt and throws a fastball that gets up near 98 miles an hour.

You can't argue with the results he's had. Buehler is 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA, and he tossed the first six innings of a combined no-hitter last Friday, as the Dodgers and San Diego Padres were tangling in Monterey. Whether manager Dave Roberts should have left him in there is something people can argue about. But there is no arguing about the fact that the 23-year-old has something special.

Making the start for the Reds is Tyler Mahle (2-4, 4.35 ERA), who has struck out 42 batters in 39-1/3 innings of work. Cincinnati is coming off a rare thing - a two-game winning streak - as they beat the struggling New York Mets. With that, the Reds no longer have the worst record in the majors, but they are only 10-27, which puts them 11.5 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central.

In the baseball betting odds that have been posted on this game by the folks at BetAnySports, the Dodgers are favored:

Los Angeles Dodgers (Buehler) -170
Cincinnati Reds (Mahle) +160

Dodgers -1.5 Runs +125
Reds +1.5 Runs -145

Over 7.5 Runs -115
Under 7.5 Runs -105

Cincinnati won on a walk-off homer by Adam Duvall on Wednesday, but what they really benefited from was the Mets batting out of turn in the first inning. That snuffed out a rally.

They also made a deal with the Mets, as they traded catcher Devin Mesoraco for pitcher Matt Harvey, who may see action during this four-game series. Harvey, who started for the National League in the All-Star Game as a rookie, had been plagued by injuries and lost his effectiveness for the Mets, and after being demoted to the bullpen, they wanted to send him to the minors, which he and his agent, Scott Boras, refused to do. So he was "designated for assignment,: which is the precursor for a trade or a release.

The Reds hope that Harvey can regain something with them, as he either could move forward with them or be traded to a contender at the deadline in exchange for prospects. As it stands, Cincinnati's starting staff has the worst ERA in the National League, and as a team, they are giving up 5.3 runs per game.

The Dodgers have been pretty dominant recently against Cincinnati, winning eight consecutive meetings and 17 out of 20, and they have defeated the Reds nine straight times at Chavez Ravine. Buehler throws hard, is effective with all his pitchers and is not going to carry that heavy a burden just yet. The fact that Roberts removed him after six no-hit innings should give you an idea about how much of a priority it is not to overwork him. This actually makes for a pretty good five-inning proposition for us, as on that basis we can lay a half a run and -120.

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