[h3]Ethier to miss Freeway Series finale[/h3]LA Dodgers (30-14) vs. LA Angels (22-20), 1:10 p.m. PT
By Ken Gurnick / MLB.com
05/24/09 3:30 AM ET
LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers manager Joe Torre was already planning to give shortstop Rafael Furcal and catcher Russell Martin Sunday off, but late Saturday night he added Andre Ethier to the list of likely observers for the Freeway Series finale against the Angels.
Ethier aggravated a split big toenail on his right foot when he took a direct hit from a John Lackey pitch in the fifth inning on Saturday night. Ethier -- who led off the second inning with a double and was doubled home by Russell Martin for the Dodgers' first run -- stayed in the game two more innings before finally shutting it down in pain.
"I was already missing half the nail," said Ethier. "It's been a problem all year. Since Spring Training, half the nail's been dead and now the whole thing is pretty much dead. It was throbbing."
The timing isn't great. Ethier, in the last two games, finally seemed to be coming around after a 2 1/2-week slump that saw his batting average fall from .327 to .250.
On Friday night, he had two hits taken away with difficult defensive plays, while also walking twice.
"I thought those two walks when they didn't want to walk him were real good at-bats," said Torre. "I hope he's showing signs of getting his comfort back."
On Saturday night, he snapped an 0-for-13 homestand with a second-inning double, a third-inning single, was hit by the pitch in the fifth and lined out sharply to left field in the seventh before yielding to rookie Jamie Hoffmann in the eighth inning.
Hoffmann came up in the ninth with one-out, a runner on third base and a chance to be a quick hero, but plate umpire Chuck Meriwether called him out on a third strike that Hoffmann thought was low.
Hoffman is the only extra outfielder on the active roster, so he's most likely to get his first Major League start if Ethier is rested. Juan Castro and Brad Ausmus will probably start in place of Furcal and Martin.
