Dodgers’ outfielders still dropping: Carl Crawford has sore back

And in this moment’s Dodgers injury report, Carl Crawford has a bad back.

Crawford has apparently been battling a sore back for awhile, but something Saturday night in that lovely 19-3 beating by the Giants flared it up and he was gone by the third inning.

Two innings later, Yasiel Puig followed. Puig suffered the unkindest manly injury diving for a fly ball. He remained in the game in the bottom of the fifth, was hit by a pitch and managed to make it from first to third on a single, so apparently nothing serious there.

But with Matt Kemp still on the disabled list with a sore hamstring, Andre Ethier leaving the clubhouse Saturday with his sore left foot in a walking boot, Crawford’s back and Puig’s momentary setback, Manager Don Mattingly has gone from briefly having four healthy starting caliber outfielders to none.

“We’ll see tomorrow. Hopefully we’ll have some miraculous recoveries overnight,” Mattingly said Saturday night.

Crawford is the newest addition to the injured outfielder equation, and the latest uncertainty. Mattingly said he’s been battling the sore back off and on all season, then apparently aggravated it Saturday.

“He did something,” Mattingly said. “It was something he went to the trainers with. Any time a guy goes to the trainer and says he’s stiffening up and tightening up, it’s something.”

Mattingly is trying to be optimistic, thinking Puig at most would miss a day, Ethier will be out only a few days, Crawford can overcome is back issue and Kemp will rejoin the team next week.

“Carl is kind of in and out with this, so I don’t feel like it’s long term,” Mattingly said. “There are a lot of day-to-day guys all of a sudden, which puts you in kind of a box when you’re putting out a lineup every day, but that’s where we’re at.”