Tucker (back), Rushing (head) get encouraging news on injuries

MINNEAPOLIS -- Steady downpours at Target Field forced both the Dodgers and Twins to adjust their pregame routines ahead of Tuesday night's matchup, pushing the scheduled first pitch back to 7:05 p.m.

With batting practice canceled and a rain delay in place, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts provided crucial updates on right fielder Kyle Tucker and catcher Dalton Rushing, who both exited Monday's series opener with injuries in the span of one inning.

Tucker, who left early on Monday due to lower back spasms, was officially ruled out for Tuesday's contest. While the 29-year-old outfielder noted that he felt a little bit better ahead of the game, he admitted that rotating still caused some soreness.

The Dodgers are opting for a cautious approach, hoping a brief window of rest can double as a quick mental break. Roberts indicated that the team plans to hold Tucker out for the remainder of the series in Minneapolis, aiming for a potential return to the lineup Friday in San Diego following Thursday's off-day.

"I think that the four days, with the off-day, would be a middle [route]," Roberts said regarding a potential stint on the injured list. "And so hopefully he has taken advantage of this, obviously to get right, but also kind of a mental reset. Hopefully the four days will suffice."

Whether Tucker can avoid the injured list entirely will depend on his ability to resume baseball activities Wednesday.

"If he can swing the bat, ideally he would swing the bat tomorrow and do some type of activity to go into the off-day," Roberts said. "But if he doesn't, then we'll probably have a tougher decision on Friday."

Tucker remained confident that a longer absence will not be necessary.

"[I’m] pretty confident," Tucker said about avoiding the IL. "I mean, I feel decent right now. Just have to see how tomorrow goes."

Meanwhile, the news on the catching front was also encouraging. Rushing, who left Monday's game to undergo a precautionary concussion evaluation after taking a sharp foul tip directly off his mask, reported feeling good to go ahead of his secondary evaluation Tuesday evening.

While Rushing had a second concussion evaluation pregame Tuesday, there has been no immediate report from the team. Though Rushing told the team he felt fine, Roberts laughed as he noted that a player's self-assessment only goes so far.

"He said he's good to go,” Roberts said. “So that doesn't carry too much weight until I hear from the medical staff. But it is good to know that he said he's good to go. My hope is that he'll be available off the bench in some capacity [today]."