Report: Josh Beckett Will Make Dodgers Debut on Monday vs. Rockies

The Los Angeles Dodgers will not waste time getting newly acquired Josh Beckett on the mound, as he will make his first start for the club on Monday.

Beckett was sent to L.A. along with Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Nick Punto for James Loney, Allen Webster, Ivan De Jesus, Rubby De La Rosa and Jerry Sands, according to ESPN’s Mark Saxon.

Los Angeles general manager Ned Colletti announced that Beckett would be pitching in Monday’s game after the trade became official, according to Drew Silva of NBC’s Hardball Talk. Silva notes that Beckett will be taking the place of Chad Billingsley, who according to the Los Angeles Times’ Dylan Hernandez, will not be back in the lineup anytime soon.

"

Chad Billingsley "might be out for a while," GM Ned Colletti said.

— Dylan Hernandez (@dylanohernandez) August 25, 2012"

Beckett’s first start will be a divisional battle against the Colorado Rockies. The game will be at Coors Field and will start at 8:40 p.m. ET.

Colletti and Dodgers fans will be hoping that Beckett performs better in Los Angeles than he has in Boston this season. The 6'5", 220-pound right-hander is 5-11 in 21 outings this season with a 5.23 ERA. He has recorded 94 strikeouts and 38 walks in 127.1 innings pitched.

He has faced controversy this season due to his lackluster production and an incident where he was seen playing golf the day after missing a start due to injury. The Dodgers will need him to be more focused on baseball as they try to make a run in the postseason.

Beckett’s playoff numbers are the most encouraging sign of his possible success with his new team; he is 7-3 with 3.07 ERA and 99 strikeouts compared to 21 walks in 93.2 innings.

With the season winding down, Monday’s game will provide hints as to how committed Beckett is to succeeding with the Dodgers.