The Los Angeles Dodgers may have the best record in baseball, at 26-13, but they continue to suffer losses of the medical kind. Second baseman Mark Ellis was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left leg injury, suffered while on the receiving end of a takeout slide by Tyler Greene of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Manager Don Mattingly said the club was still analyzing the MRI results for Ellis, and that the exam showed swelling in multiple places in his leg. "We're still getting information back, but we have enough to know we're going to DL him," Mattingly said.
Ellis was off to a very good start for the Dodgers, hitting .273/.373/.364 with 27 runs scored in 37 games. With Ellis out, the Dodgers will likely use a combination of Adam Kennedy, Elian Herrera, Justin Sellers, and Ivan De Jesus, who was recalled from Triple A Albuquerque on Saturday.
"I think he's a great player. The more you see him play, the better he is," Mattingly said. "He's a tough guy to replace."
Ellis is the fourth Dodgers starter currently on the disabled list, along with Matt Kemp, Juan Uribe, and Juan Rivera. Super sub Jerry Hairston Jr., who has started 15 games for the Dodgers, is also on the disabled list with a left hamstring injury, but is expected to return Wednesday when the Dodgers are in Phoenix to battle the Arizona Diamondbacks. Hairston will likely take part in two minor league games Monday and Tuesday on a rehab assignment.
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