San Diego @ Los Angeles preview
Dodger Stadium
Last Meeting ( May 16, 2010 ) LA Dodgers 1, San Diego 0
The Los Angeles Dodgers received the news they feared on Tuesday: Andre Ethier needs a stint on the disabled list due to his broken right pinkie.
In a worst-case scenario, Ethier could be sidelined for up to six weeks. He’ll more than likely miss between two and four weeks.
Regardless, Ethier won’t be in the lineup tonight – or anytime in the near future – when the Dodgers begin a two-game series against the NL West-leading San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers enter the series with a nine-game winning streak and trail the Padres by just one game after beating the Houston Astros 7-3 on Tuesday night.
Ethier suffered a chip fracture of the knuckle on the finger during batting practice prior to last Saturday’s game against the Padres in San Diego.
After he visited a hand specialist on Sunday, the Dodgers elected to wait a few days before making a decision on whether or not to place the star outfielder on the disabled list.
Ethier will be wearing a splint to promote healing of the finger but won’t need surgery.
The loss of Ethier leaves a major hole in the Dodgers’ lineup. He was arguably having the best season of any hitter in baseball prior to the injury – hitting .392 and slugging .744 with 11 homers and 38 RBIs.
The Dodgers recalled Xavier Paul from Triple-A Albuquerque to replace Ethier on the roster. Paul played nine games for the Dodgers earlier this season and hit .276 in 29 at-bats.
Los Angeles is now missing two regulars. Shortstop Rafael Furcal hasn’t played since April 27 due to a hamstring injury. urcal isn’t yet ready to return to the Dodgers but is expected back prior to the end of the month.
San Diego starter Jon Garland will try to cool down a Dodgers’ squad that has won 14 of its last 17 games.
Garland won 14 games for the Dodgers in 2008 before splitting time with the Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks last season.
He’s off to a fine start with the Padres, compiling a 4-2 record and 1.88 earned-run average in eight starts. Garland has won four consecutive decisions.
He pitched six innings against the Dodgers on Friday but wasn’t involved in the decision, giving up two runs and six hits.
San Diego lost to San Francisco in 12 innings on Tuesday night. It was the Padres’ first loss in eight games against the Giants this season.
Padres left fielder Kyle Blanks (.157) has gone 0-for-23 over his last nine games and is just 3-for-34 (.088) during the month of May. Since April 20, Blanks is 6-for-62 (.097) and has struck out 34 times.
Ramon Ortiz will be on the mound for the Dodgers. Ortiz made his first start of the season against Garland and the Padres last Friday and allowed three runs and six hits in four innings.
Ortiz is 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in 26 2/3 innings this season.