Andre Ethier bruises elbow and back after crashing into fence

Reporting from Chicago

After crashing into the chain-link fence in front of the Dodgers’ bullpen, Andre Ethier slowly walked back toward his position, put his hands on his knees and dropped his head toward the grass at U.S. Cellular Field.

The wind had been knocked out of the Dodgers’ right-fielder Sunday, but that wasn’t all: He also had bruised his right elbow and lower right back, and had sprained his left big toe chasing a fly ball hit by former Dodger Juan Pierre in the fourth inning.

“That’s why I was bent over,” Ethier said, not only to catch his breath but “to take inventory of what went on.”

Ethier stayed in the game for one more out, then Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly sent Tony Gwynn Jr. to right field to replace Ethier.

Of the three injuries, “there’s no one particular concern for me,” said Ethier, who recently had a 30-game hitting streak. An X-ray of his toe showed nothing was broken.

“[I’ll] just wake [up] tomorrow morning and see where we’re at,” he said.

Asked whether he planned to play Monday when the Dodgers play the Astros in Houston, he said, “That’s what I was planning on doing.”

Barajas’ injury

Rod Barajas’ availability was listed as day to day after he sprained his right wrist, and the catcher clearly was uncomfortable after the game.

“It’s sore,” Barajas said as he held his arm stiffly, a superficial gash evident on top of his right hand where Pierre’s spikes took a chunk of skin. A few minutes later, teammate Matt Kemp had to help Barajas slide his right arm through his suit jacket.

Barajas was hurt making a tag on Pierre, who had tagged up from third base and barely beat a throw from Kemp.

“Hopefully I wake up tomorrow and feel a little better,” Barajas said. “If the soreness is still there and it gets worse, we might need to check other things out” for treatment, he said.

Furcal’s return

Rafael Furcal finally returned to the lineup after breaking his left thumb in April, but it was rough day for the shortstop.

Furcal struck out to start the game, struck out in the fifth inning with two runners aboard and struck out swinging in the seventh inning with the bases loaded. He was hitless in five at-bats.

He also had a throwing error in fourth inning that touched off a two-run inning for the White Sox.

“I was just trying to see the ball, [get my] timing,” Furcal said. “It’s a long season.”

But Furcal said the thumb was fine, “and that’s the best thing.”

Rookie orientation

After throwing a scoreless inning in his major league debut a week earlier, relief pitcher Javy Guerra found much less success Sunday in the eighth inning against Chicago.

The right-hander, who was called up from double-A Chattanooga, gave up two runs and two hits and he struck a batter.

“I felt behind in the counts,” he said. “These are big league hitters, they took advantage of the pitches they’re supposed to and I ended up paying for it.

“We were battling back, we had a good chance there and I’ve got to be better than that,” Guerra said. “I’ve got to be able to shut the door.”

james.peltz@latimes.com