Dodgers defeat Twins, but lose Kyle Tucker and catcher Dalton Rushing

MINNEAPOLIS — The Dodgers’ recent offensive scuffing fell down the list of their most pressing issues Monday in their 2-1 win against the Minnesota Twins.

In the first three innings, the Dodgers had two key players leave the game. Right fielder Kyle Tucker exited in the top of the second because of lower back spasms, and catcher Dalton Rushing in the bottom of the third to evaluate for a possible concussion, the team said.

Tucker drew a walk in the second inning, advanced to second on Tommy Edman’s single and was replaced by pinch-runner Alex Call soon after.

Tucker jogged off the field into the dugout, his hand on his right side as he talked to hitting coach Aaron Bates.

Tucker, in his first season with the Dodgers after signing a four-year deal worth $240 million this winter, entered Monday with a .705 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, on pace for his worst offensive year by that measure since his 2018 rookie season with the Houston Astros.

Tucker recently went nine games with a .303 batting average. But then he went hitless in the Dodgers’ two losses to the Batlimore Orioles last weekend.

“If we can get him back to being who he is, then we’ll bet on the results,” manager Dave Roberts said before the game, noting Tucker’s reputation for controlling the strike zone. “It’s not something that we might see tonight. But I think going here forward, that’s something that I think we’re going to see.”

Rushing was replaced behind the plate by Chuckie Robinson in the third inning. When the Dodgers announced the reason for Rushing’s exit, they did not point to a particular incident. But Rushing did take a foul tip off his mask on Will Klein’s first pitch of the game.

Rushing took a moment to compose himself, putting his glove in the dirt for stability. But he remained in the game for two innings.

The Dodgers already were down one catcher. Rushing took over as the primary backstop the last two weeks with Will Smith sidelined by a neck injury. Smith did not travel with the team to Minnesota.

Lauer follows opener

Dodgers left-hander Eric Lauer voiced his distaste for pitching behind an opener while with the Toronto Blue Jays. But he clarified those comments when he joined the Dodgers.

“If you ask most starters in the league, they would probably have the same response, that they don’t like it,” Lauer said last month. “But it doesn’t mean that I’m not willing to do it. It doesn’t mean that I’m not a team player.”

On Monday, the Dodgers asked him to enter the game in the second inning after Klein gave up a run and two hits in the first. Lauer followed with six hitless innings.

“We’ve been very forthright,” Roberts said before the game. “I know he’s appreciated that. For me, just telling him the thought behind it and the why and still giving him confidence to know that we expect him to take down the most outs in the game. He’s all in. He’s all in on winning. I do think that just getting ahead of it [is key], being honest with him.”

Roberts said he told Lauer the plan after Sunday’s game, explaining that he thought having Klein face the power-hitting right-handers near the top of the Twins lineup would give Lauer the best chance to go deeper into the game.

Klein surrendering a tying home run to right-handed hitting Byron Buxton wasn’t exactly part of that plan. But Lauer kept the Twins hitless for six scoreless innings. The three walks he issued accounted for the only baserunners against him.

The Dodgers scored their runs on solo homers from Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman.