Carl Crawford scratched; Dodgers unhappy Ted Lilly hid injury

The precautionary business got revved up again for the Dodgers. When it feels like half your roster has been on the disabled list -- they’ve actually used it only nine times in April -- maybe you tend to become a tad careful.

Andre Ethier was scheduled to get a night off Tuesday against Colorado left-hander Jorge De La Rosa, a guy he’s never hit well. That lasted until about three hours before the game, when the Dodgers announced Carl Crawford was being scratched for precautionary reasons due to tightness in his right hamstring.

The Dodgers certainly don’t want to lose Crawford, who has been one of their best hitters, particularly at home (.388), so they’re going the careful route.

Jerry Hairston Jr., who was scheduled to start in right for Ethier, moved over to left for Crawford and took over his spot in the leadoff role.

Ethier is one for 13 lifetime against De La Rosa.

At least Crawford apparently came forward with his soreness. Manager Don Mattingly said he was frustrated left-hander Ted Lilly had not mentioned to the Dodgers that he was battling back soreness prior to his disastrous start Monday.

Lilly told reporters after the game he’d begun experiencing the soreness after his previous start. He thought it was something minor that would pass, but Mattingly said he needed to tell the staff so they could be better prepared should he not be able to hold up.

“The frustrating part is when you’re feeling it before you go out there and don’t tell anybody,” Mattingly said. “Let us make some plans.

“He has to let somebody know it. He can’t just keep it to himself. He hasn’t been getting any treatment for it. It’s OK if he felt bad, but let somebody know and get treatment. At least we know going into the game, we should possibly have a guy here that can go four or five innings.”

Mattingly said he did not speak to Lilly after the game, but Stan Conte, the team vice president of medical services, had expressed the team’s frustration.

Lilly was scheduled to have an MRI exam on his back Tuesday, but the Dodgers had yet to learn the results when Mattingly spoke during his daily pregame meeting with the media.