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The Los Angeles Dodgers keep winning, even as they struggle to keep their top personnel on the field, and will test their fate once again when they host the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday.

Without Freddie Freeman for the third time in their opening six games, the Dodgers still pulled off a 6-1 victory over the Braves in the opener of a three-game series on Monday to improve to 6-0 on the season.

While the Dodgers remained unbeaten, the Braves have yet to win over their first five contests, all on the road. The Braves never have made the playoffs when opening a season 0-5.

The Dodgers are set to send right-hander Dustin May to the mound Tuesday in his first start since May 2023. May had Tommy John surgery, then missed additional time following an incident in which he tore his esophagus while swallowing food.

“I feel like there will be a lot more emotions for me because of all of the time that I’ve had to think about it,” May said about his return. “… I was waiting for 13 months and the esophagus thing happened and then that changed my perspective on a lot of things in life. I’m excited. I’m just going to put it that way.”

Fifth in National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2020, May has pitched in parts of five seasons but never made more than 10 starts in any of them. His only appearance against the Braves came in 2019 when he gave up four runs in two innings.

He is 12-9 in his career with a 3.10 ERA in 46 games (34 starts).

Without Freeman to face his former team Monday, Teoscar Hernandez was moved into the No. 3 spot of the Dodgers’ order and he hit a two-run home run in the first inning.

The Braves also had a player missing from their lineup Monday after Jurickson Profar was handed an 80-game PED suspension.

“We hate it for him, our club and our team,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “But Major League Baseball has their program and we honor that. It’s just going to afford an opportunity for somebody else for 80 days.”

Perhaps the player who gets that opportunity can bolster the ice-cold Atlanta offense. Atlanta was on a 29-inning scoreless streak before Michael Harris II hit a home run in the eighth inning on Monday. They had just one hit in their loss Sunday to the San Diego Padres, then went hitless over the first four innings Monday.

Without Profar in left field, Bryan De La Cruz received his first start of the season and went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.

Left-hander Chris Sale (0-0, 5.40 ERA) will take the mound for Atlanta on Tuesday. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner made his season debut Thursday at San Diego, giving up three runs on six hits over five innings with seven strikeouts in a 7-4 defeat.

Veteran right-handed reliever Jesse Chavez, 41, is back with the Braves after his contract was purchased Monday. He signed a minor league deal with the Braves last month with hopes of competing in an 18th MLB season.

“I’m just grateful that I’ve been able to do something these past few years to get that opportunity to come back,” Chavez told reporters Monday before giving up one run over two innings. “My only job is to go out there and see if I still have some magic left.”

–Field Level Media