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Dodgers reliever Tony Cingrani likely to miss rest of the season

Dodgers reliever Tony Cingrani reacts after giving up a hit to the San Francisco Giants on April 27. Cingrani is scheduled to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder.
(Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
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Dodgers left-hander Tony Cingrani will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder, manager Dave Roberts announced Sunday. Roberts said the procedure will “probably” end Cingrani’s season, which never got off to much of a start.

Cingrani, 29, began the campaign on the 10-day injured list with a shoulder impingement after getting shut down during spring training in mid-March. He began a rehab assignment last month, appearing in one game for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga before joining triple-A Oklahoma City. He allowed two runs in 6⅓ innings across seven games for Oklahoma City, but suffered a setback in his final outing May 24.

The Dodgers acquired Cingrani from the Cincinnati Reds at the trade deadline in 2017 and was a key component in the club’s bullpen for its run to Game 7 of the World Series. He landed on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation last May, was activated 10 days later, and was back on the injured list in June. He didn’t return and hasn’t pitched at the big league level since.

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“It’s a decision that he and the docs decided was the best course of action for the short term and the long term,” Roberts said.

Without Cingrani, the Dodgers have carried Caleb Ferguson, Scott Alexander and Julio Urias as left-handed options in their bullpen most of the season. Ferguson, however, was demoted to triple-A last week, leaving the Dodgers with two left-handers. He’s struck out the four batters he’s faced in two outings since joining Oklahoma City.

Turner makes appearance

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Justin Turner was on the field at Dodger Stadium on Sunday morning, running and partaking in fielding drills at third base hours before the Dodgers took the field to complete their series against the Philadelphia Phillies. It did not appear the right hamstring he injured Wednesday night was an issue. He wasn’t in the Dodgers’ starting lineup Sunday for the fourth consecutive game, but Turner walked in a pinch-hit appearance and was replaced by a pinch-runner. Roberts said he expects Turner will start Monday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“We’re going to give it another day and that’s just more of how we’re playing, guys are playing,” Roberts said. “To get those guys to continue to go and not putting him in harm’s way at all.”

Barnes to return Friday

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Austin Barnes will play two games for Rancho Cucamonga on Tuesday and Wednesday before he is activated from the injured list Friday, Roberts said. Barnes has been on the injured list since Monday with a left groin strain he sustained the previous day in Pittsburgh. Roberts said he expects Barnes to start Friday in the Dodgers’ series opener against the San Francisco Giants with Clayton Kershaw on the mound.

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Barnes’ return is expected to mark the end of Will Smith’s first stint in the majors. Roberts said the club isn’t considering carrying three catchers. The plan is for Smith to return to Oklahoma City when Barnes returns despite the 24-year-old catcher’s success in Barnes’ absence, which included a walk-off home run to beat the Phillies on Saturday.

“Most important [thing] is to get Will regular at-bats,” Roberts said. “He was a September call-up in triple-A last year. [He] didn’t perform well, off to a great start this year and just to continue to get to finishing school. But for him to get an opportunity this time and play well and to get his feet wet at the big league level is a great thing.”

jorge.castillo@latimes.com

Twitter: @jorgecastillo

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