LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Dodgers are hoping the tide might be turning in what has been a fairly relentless stream of injuries since the earliest days of spring training.
They think third baseman Justin Turner avoided a serious knee injury after he fouled a ball off his left knee and then landed on it diving for a ground ball during Monday night's game. Turner didn't take the field with his teammates to stretch or take batting practice Tuesday, but X-rays from Monday were negative and manager Don Mattingly said he was hoping Turner would be available as a pinch hitter after he receives treatment.
"J.T. was stiff today," Mattingly said. "Hopefully, as the treatment goes on we'll have him in some form."
Aside from two starting pitchers -- Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu -- who are lost for the season after undergoing arm surgery, the Dodgers could be at full strength in a matter of a few weeks. That's presuming no new names hit the disabled list in the meantime.
Mattingly said Carl Crawford, who tore an oblique muscle near the end of April, has resumed running; reliever Brandon League (shoulder) has already started his minor rehab stint; reliever Joel Peralta (pinched nerve) will begin his Thursday for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga; within the next few days, Scott Van Slyke (back) also will go on a rehab assignment for Rancho Cucamonga. Reliever Pedro Baez (pectoral strain) isn't expected to be out much more than another 10 days or so.
Mattingly said starting pitcher Brandon Beachy will go to Arizona on Thursday to throw another simulated game, but that the team is considering sending him on a rehab assignment soon afterward. Beachy is trying to come back from a second round of Tommy John surgery. The Dodgers signed him to a $2.75 million contract in February.
