Don Mattingly concerned as Hanley Ramirez hamstring flares again

Hamstrings seem intent on haunting the Dodgers. The injury that keeps on giving.

They have outfielders Matt Kemp and Carl Crawford on the disabled list with hamstring injuries, and Hanley Ramirez came off the DL with a strained hamstring just Tuesday.

Only maybe not. At least not the way the Dodgers had envisioned.

Ramirez missed his second consecutive start Friday with reoccurring soreness in his hamstring, and Manager Don Mattingly, despite assurances otherwise from the training staff, is concerned Ramirez might have to return to the DL.

“For me it’s a concern because it’s two days,” Mattingly said. “But Stan [Conte, vice president of medical services] seems to think we just have to get him through this little period.”

After Ramirez returned to shortstop to play two games, Mattingly said Thursday was a scheduled day off. He did enter the game Thursday as a pinch hitter, walked and scored on Yasiel Puig’s grand slam.

“When he got ready last night, he didn’t get as loose as he liked,” Mattingly said. “We knew it was hit and basically not run. Before he went up there I told him, ‘Hey, you can’t run.’ ”

Ramirez, however, was scheduled to return to shortstop Friday against the Braves.

“I really planned on playing him today, but before I left last night Stan was like, ‘We have to see Hanley before we do this tomorrow,’ ” Mattingly said. “He didn’t respond the way that Stan wanted him to, kinda getting ready for the game.”

Mattingly said the hamstring was not aggravated by any particular play since Ramirez returned Tuesday.

“Just from playing baseball,” he said. “He didn’t feel it grab him or anything like that. Yesterday he was just stiff. After the first day it was kinda like soreness.”

Luis Cruz is starting at shortstop Friday in place of Ramirez.