Andre Ethier to stay Dodgers’ left fielder when Carl Crawford returns
Dodgers left fielder Andre Ethier smiles while speaking to teammates in the dugout before Friday’s loss to the visiting San Francisco Giants.
In the next 10 days or so, sidelined outfielder Carl Crawford could start playing in games to prepare himself for a return to the major leagues.
Don Mattingly hasn’t offered a timetable for when Crawford could rejoin the Dodgers. But the manager said Monday that when Crawford returns, he probably will be in a bench role, as Andre Ethier is expected to remain the team’s starting left fielder.
“Andre’s kind of taken that spot, to be honest with you,” Mattingly said.
Crawford started the season as the team’s starting left fielder, but has been sidelined since late April because of a torn side muscle.
Ethier has started the majority of games in left field in Crawford’s absence.
Heading into the Dodgers’ three-game series against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, Ethier was batting .275 with nine home runs and 27 runs batted in.
Ethier, 33, hit only four home runs last season.
Right-handed-hitting Scott Van Slyke will start in left field Monday night, with the Dodgers scheduled to face left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada.
Follow Dylan Hernandez on Twitter: @dylanohernandez
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