Dodgers put hot-hitting Andre Ethier on disabled list

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The Dodgers said Tuesday that they put right fielder Andre Ethier on the 15-day disabled list after the top hitter in the National League broke a bone in his right pinkie and remained too sore to hold a bat or catch a ball.

Ethier’s injury came during pre-game batting practice Saturday when the Dodgers were playing the Padres in San Diego, and it forced the left-handed batter to miss the next three games.

Coincidentally, Tuesday is Andre Ethier bobblehead doll night at Dodger Stadium.

Outfielder Xavier Paul was called up from the Dodgers’ triple-A Albuquerque team to take Ethier’s place on the 25-man roster, the Dodgers said. Paul played with the Dodgers earlier this year when slugger Manny Ramirez was on the disabled list.

Although the Dodgers have won eight consecutive games, Ethier’s loss is a major blow because through Monday he was leading the league with a .392 batting average and 38 runs batted in, and he was tied for the home-run lead with 11.

The Dodgers were seeking their ninth win in a row Tuesday night against the Houston Astros at Dodger Stadium.

--Jim Peltz