The Los Angeles Dodgers begin their Freeway Series against the Los Angeles Angels Monday night in Anaheim, but a notable player will not be in the lineup.

Teoscar Hernandez will not play in the series opener against the Halos, and manager Dave Roberts explained why.

“We’ve obviously got a big series coming up, I wanted to make sure that he still stays in a good place,” Roberts said, referring to the upcoming rivalry series against the San Diego Padres this weekend. “I think he’s certainly been battling some mechanical [issues]. He’s not right. I just think today is a good for him to use today as a work day. We’re gonna need him, but I do think that he’s not right where he needs to be.

“I just think that specifically versus right-handed pitching, I don’t see as many competitive at-bats as we’ve seen. I think it’s a mechanical thing, not seeing it well, but we’re gonna need him. There’s just a lot more since he came back from that injury.”

The plan is for Hernandez to play five out of the Dodgers’ six games this week, per Roberts. Therefore, fans can expect the outfielder to be in the LA lineup for the remainder of the series with the Angels.

Hernandez is hitting .254 this season with 18 home runs, 69 runs batted in, and an OPS of .753. His production has not been the same as last year; however, as Roberts pointed out, it appears a host of injuries have played a role in Hernandez’s struggles this season.

The Dodgers are entering a pivotal portion of the season with the division race tightening. The Angels swept the Dodgers in May, and the best case scenario for LA would be executing a sweep of their own over the crosstown rivals.

Every win counts as the Dodgers and Padres clash over the weekend, and the results of the rivalry series will surely shake up the division.