Rafael Furcal expected back in 25-30 days, plus other Dodgers injury updates

Top prospect Dee Gordon is starting at shortstop and batting leadoff for the Dodgers on Tuesday, something he could be doing for the next month.

Manager Don Mattingly said Rafael Furcal, whom Gordon is replacing, isn’t expected back for 25-30 days. Furcal received an injection of platelet-rich plasma in his strained side muscle.

Sidelined pitchers Vicente Padilla and Jon Garland are facing more uncertain recoveries. Mattingly said the Dodgers don’t have a timetable for either of them. Padilla underwent an MRI exam on Monday, which showed inflammation in a disk in his neck. A similar problem sidelined him for the final month of last season.

Sidelined relievers Hong-Chih Kuo and Kenley Jansen will both be pitching in minor-league games on Thursday, Kuo with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga and Jansen with Double-A Chattanooga.

The decision for Kuo to pitch was made by the left-hander himself. Kuo is on the disabled list with an anxiety disorder.

Jonathan Broxton threw a bullpen session on Tuesday and is scheduled to throw another on Thursday.

-- Dylan Hernandez in Philadelphia

Running down the Dodgers' second team on the DL

Here’s an overview of the 10 -- count ’em, 10! --  Dodgers currently starting their new squad on the disabled list, and any factors possibly related to their status.

Will leave connecting any dots up to you.

-- Jonathan Broxton: Bone spur, bruise on left elbow, first time on DL. Listed at 300 pounds.

-- Rafael Furcal: Left oblique injury sends him back to the DL for sixth time as a Dodger and second time this season. He is 33.

-- Jon Garland: Also his second stint, this time with an inflamed shoulder. During the off-season, said teams shied away from long-term contract offer because of MRI exam on shoulder. He is 31.

-- Hector Gimenez: Forget about him? Had knee surgery after appearing in just four games. He is listed as 28.

-- Blake Hawksworth: Hip impingement has him on DL for first time in career. Expected back next week, though was originally expected back last week. He is also 28.

-- Kenley Jansen: Inflamed right shoulder. He’s just 23, but converted catcher only in his second full season as a pitcher. Have to wonder about arm strength.

-- Hong-Chih Kuo: Sadly, after four elbow operations, the DL is his second home. This time he’s out indefinitely with anxiety disorder. Turns 30 next month. Is throwing at Phoenix camp.

-- Vicente Padilla: On for the second time this season, this time with a sore forearm following surgery last spring. Padilla, 33, was scheduled to come off Friday, but remained on with the same neck pain that plagued him last season. Has been on the DL 10 times in his career.

-- Marcus Thames: Has a quad strain, but expected back next week. He is 34.

-- Juan Uribe: Strained left hip flexor. Uribe, 32, is expected to be activated Monday.

Previously on the DL were Casey Blake (37), Jay Gibbons (34) and Dioner Navarro (27). The Dodgers have used the DL 18 times in 58 games.

-- Steve Dilbeck

Photo: Former All-Star reliever Hong-Chih Kuo delivers a pitch against the Giants in the eighth inning of a game at Dodger Stadium in early April. Credit: Gus Ruelas / Associated Press

Dodgers have seen this one before: Bodies and runs disappear in 2-1 loss to Reds

It was like old times Friday for the Dodgers, or at least those less-than-pleasant times from the last month.

Bodies kept coming up lame, scoring remained a concept, and just for a little throwback to last season, Matt Kemp had a brain cramp on the bases.

It added up to a tough 2-1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, tough losses increasingly becoming the Dodgers’ specialty.

Before the game the Dodgers learned right-hander Jon Garland was headed for the disabled list, reliever Vicente Padilla wasn’t ready to come off the DL, and, to make matter worse, they lost shortstop Rafael Furcal in the second inning with a side injury.

And then they went out and struggled to score against a pitcher who hasn’t been able to get anyone out in a month.

Cincinnati starter Bronson Arroyo entered the game with his right arm almost dragging on the grass. He was 3-5 with a 5.74 earned-run average, and in his last three starts he had surrendered 19 earned runs in 12 2/3 innings.

Friday night, he was practically Johnny Vander Meer. He held the Dodgers to one run in six innings, holding them to five hits and one walk.

Of course, he easily could have allowed two runs, save for Kemp having that inexplicable 2010 flashback.

The Dodgers loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth after Andre Ethier and Kemp singled and Jay Gibbons was hit by a pitch.

James Loney then lifted a sacrifice fly to Fred Lewis in medium left. Ethier tagged and scored easily. Which should have been that, only Kemp drifted almost half way to third. It was one of those what-are-you-doing moments that Kemp made frequent company last season. He was caught in a rundown and easily tagged out.

Dioner Navarro then grounded out, the rally was over and the Dodgers had their one run for the night.

Hiroki Kuroda made it hold up for a lot longer than he probably had right to expect. He labored through inning after inning, yet was still throwing a shutout heading into the bottom of the fifth.

Then a single and a pair of walks loaded the bases for the Reds. Scott Rolen lined a two-run single to left-center field and the Reds had their lead.

Kuroda (5-6) ended up going one more inning, throwing 114 pitches in his six innings. He gave up six hits and walked four.

Still, two runs proved enough for Cincinnati. After scoring 23 runs in three games, the Dodgers have now scored once in their last two.

-- Steve Dilbeck

Photo: Dodgers shortstop Jamey Carroll makes the catch and tag as Cincinnati's Joey Votto tries to steal second base in the third inning Friday. Carroll, though was unable to hang onto the ball. Credit: Al Behrman / Associated Press

Who's the Dodgers' closer?

Who’s the Dodgers’ closer?

Manager Don Mattingly responded to the question with one of his own: “How do I know?”

Jonathan Broxton, Hong-Chih Kuo, Vicente Padilla and Kenley Jansen are on the disabled list.

Mattingly said that if his team has a ninth-inning lead, he is inclined to call on one of the pitchers recently promoted from the minors to close: Javy Guerra, Scott Elbert or Rubby De La Rosa.

Veterans Matt Guerrier and Mike MacDougal have been the Dodgers’ most consistent performers out of the bullpen, but Mattingly said he would like to continue using them in middle-relief roles. Mattingly pointed to how Guerrier and MacDougal have often entered games in the middle of innings with men on base and limited the damage.

“If one of our younger guys get in trouble, it’s nice to have a MacDougal or Guerrier right there to come in the middle of an inning and know where they’re at,” Mattingly said. “They know how to pitch in those situations.”

RELATED:

Who is the Dodgers closer now?

Reliever Kenley Jansen goes on disabled list

National League West refuses to let Dodgers go

-- Dylan Hernandez

Photo: Left-hander Scott Elbert will be among a group of relievers who could be used in a save situation while a handful of potential closers are on the disabled list. Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea / US Presswire

Ready or not, Dodgers activate Casey Blake

Sometimes you do what you want to do, sometimes what you have to do.

If the Dodgers had things firmly under control, then Casey Blake and Rafael Furcal would not have been rushed back from injuries. They would have been given more rehab time, more at-bats in the minors, more time to hone their skills.

Only things are not firmly within their control, not in the standings and not in terms of healthy, breathing players.

So ready or not, Friday the Dodgers activated Blake from the disabled list and optioned Russ Mitchell back to triple-A Albuquerque.

And much like Furcal, Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly admitted they are rushing him back sooner than they would like.

"It feels a little similar," Mattingly said.

Blake, who had left elbow surgery for a staph infection, went two for 14 at Albuquerque with eight strikeouts and no runs batted in.

"Obviously we’d like for him to get a bit more playing time down there," Mattingly said. "But we also know it doesn’t count.

"We really didn’t have any choice."

Jansen meltdown leaves Dodgers with latest crushing loss, 4-3

Even when things seem to go right for the Dodgers, somehow they still manage to go very wrong.

The Dodgers were all set up Monday for a 3-1 win on an Andre Ethier game-winning pinch hit. Ready to praise Clayton Kershaw on earning his sixth win.

Only the game proved one inning too long, Kenley Jansen unable to close it down as the Astros rallied for three, two-out runs in the ninth to escape with a 4-3 victory in Houston.

Add it to the growing list of heartbreaking losses for the Dodgers. One moment so close to victory, the next walking off in disbelieve. If familiar disbelief.

The loss dropped the Dodgers to 21-28, leaving them a season-high seven games under .500.

Dodgers place Padilla on DL; is there a closer in the house?

And for the Dodgers’ next closer …

Quick, somebody put a hand up.

That forearm soreness of Vicente Padilla’s became serious enough Thursday that the Dodgers put him on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to May 14 with radial nerve irritation.

To replace him, they called up Ramon Troncoso, again, from triple-A Albuquerque.

This is the same forearm Padilla had surgery on during spring training and forced him to miss the first three weeks of the season.

Shortly after he returned, however, closer Jonathan Broxton and Hong-Chih Kuo, the closer late last season, quickly went to the disabled list.

Padilla was elevated to closer, but threw 32 pitches Friday in his ninth appearance and his forearm became sore.

"It’s the same area, so it kind of relates to the same stuff,’’ Manager Don Mattingly said. ``He’s feeling a little better today, which is encouraging. But we’re on day six, and realistically we probably wouldn’t be able to use him again until day nine or 10, and then we’d have to give him a day off and we’re at day 12.

"It just makes sense for us to give him a chance to get healthy and try to deal with the long term."

Vicente Padilla's stiff forearm latest blow to Dodgers' closing spot?

And the bullpen doors opened in the ninth inning Tuesday, and out strode -- not the disabled Jonathan Broxton, not the disabled Hong-Chih Kuo, and not newbie closer Vicente Padilla -- but Matt Guerrier.

This closing business is getting to be risky stuff.

Padilla was not available, said manager Don Mattingly, because of forearm stiffness.

"He was a little stiff today," Mattingly said. "We feel like he’ll probably be ready (Wednesday)."

This would be, of course, the same forearm he had surgery on in the spring.

Mattingly sounded unconcerned, but dealing with all of these injuries and reports are new to him. Padilla’s arm was stiff and he hasn’t pitched since Friday.

"Stan [Conte, team trainer] said he thinks it wasn’t the same exact spot," Mattingly said.

Same arm, same forearm… same concern?

Kemp provides the offense, Kuroda the pitching as Dodgers stop three-game skid with 3-0 victory

If hits are going to continue to be in short supply for the Dodgers, they had best make them count.

On a cool Tuesday night, they made their first hit the only one that mattered when Matt Kemp crushed a two-run homer in the first inning.

With right-hander Hiroki Kuroda again in complete command, the Dodgers made that little outburst hold up on the way to a 3-0 victory over the Brewers, snapping a three-game losing streak.

Kemp followed a two-out walk to Andre Ethier in the first inning by sending his team-high eighth home run over the right-field wall.

Milwaukee left-hander Randy Wolf shut the Dodgers down the rest of the night. The Dodgers finished with eight hits.

Kemp had been 0 for 10 when he hit his home run, and 0 for 5 with five strikeouts lifetime against Wolf.

Kuroda (5-3) threw 7 2/3 scoreless innings, holding the Brewers to six hits. He walked two and struck out seven.

It was his second consecutive strong outing. In his last two starts, Kuroda has pitched 14 2/3 innings without giving up a run, while striking out 15.

On a minor historic note, in the eighth inning he was called for the first balk of his four-year career.

When it's closing time, lights are getting a tad bright for Dodgers

What a mess. I mean the bullpen, not the entire team. Particularly the end of the bullpen.

Really, who will be the Dodgers’ closer Saturday after what transpired Friday night?

Mike MacDougal, come on down?

Hey, somebody has to pop out of the bullpen if the Dodgers have a narrow lead in the ninth inning.

We know it won’t be last year’s closers, Jonathan Broxton and Hong-Chih Kuo, both now on the disabled list.

It won’t be substitute closer Vicente Padilla, who threw 32 pitches Friday and almost blew the game.

I suppose it could be Friday’s ultimate closer, Kenley Jansen, since he threw only four pitches. All fastballs in striking out Melvin Mora.

Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly was blunt about who his closer would be Saturday: "I don’t know."