Padres get a dose of Dodgers luck as star pitcher hits IL (again) right before series

The Dodgers will welcome the now first-place Padres to LA on Friday night, hoping to take back the division lead after San Diego overcame what was once a nine-game deficit. The Padres are not going to make it easy, and they've won eight of their last 10 as LA has spiraled, but the Dodgers are playing as much for their pride as they are for the NL West crown.

Clayton Kershaw was initially slated to face off against Michael King, who recently came back from an almost three-month long IL stint with knee inflammation. His first appearance back with the Pads didn't go very well, but he still has a formidable track record over the last few seasons and has dominated the Dodgers in his few outings against them.

However, the Padres announced on Thursday that King would be going back onto the IL, again with knee inflammation, and recalled Randy Vásquez from Triple-A.

The Padres took all day to announce his replacement as Friday's starter, and they just revealed it will be Wandy Peralta serving as an opener. That's a massive change.

Padres put Michael King on the IL after just one start ahead of Dodgers opener

Perhaps the Dodgers can expect Randy Vásquez to piggyback the left-hander. Vásquez was demoted to Triple-A on Aug. 2 after a start against the Cardinals that only lasted four innings. He gave up eight hits that turned into five runs. He continued to get shelled in his one and only start in the minors — three innings, five runs. Meanwhile, Kershaw — who has beef with the Padres and clearly knows how to hold a grudge — has pitched two back-to-back quality starts with only one earned run in 12 innings.

The Dodgers' starting pitching hasn't really been their problem, though. Their success in this series will all depend on whether or not the bullpen can hold things together and if the offense can actually offer run support (though having Michael Conforto in their lineup isn't going to help matters much).

If the Dodgers can walk away from this series having won just two games, they'll be tied with San Diego again for the division lead. A sweep and a one-game lead would be preferable, of course; it would set them up nicely for their fourth-game series against the Rockies at Coors (before they see the Padres for another three games at the end of the season).

Peralta/Vásquez instead of King does make the Dodgers' odds look slightly better, but a lot needs to come together for LA to set the tone for the series with a win.