ARLINGTON -- Thomas Stripling's scheduled Tuesday return from the disabled list was pushed back until at least the weekend when the pitcher said his lower back still wasn't pain-free.
Stripling said he didn't have a setback and he threw on flat ground Tuesday. He expects to throw a bullpen session on Wednesday and said a weekend return now is a logical target. He went on the disabled list Aug. 15 and hasn't pitched since August 9.
"Not pushing it," said Stripling. "Probably could pitch, probably be fine, but being smart about it and give it at least one more time off the mound and go from there. It's not like a re-emergence of symptoms. Lower-back stuff is hit or miss.
"I know it's tough when you're trying to be in a race to win a division and feel like I could go and help guys out. The idea is give it a couple more days and be 100 percent, and be good to go and not have to worry about it, instead of being tentative and not trust it."
The Dodgers had hoped that Stripling, an All-Star last month on the strength of his starting performances, could come to the rescue of a beleaguered bullpen reeling from the ineffectiveness of closer Kenley Jansen since his return last week from an irregular heartbeat.
With rosters expanding Saturday, manager Dave Roberts said it was "unrealistic" that Stripling would be activated before then.
"We want to make sure he's back at 100 percent," said Roberts.
Worth noting
• Roberts also walked back expectations of Julio Urias' imminent return from last year's shoulder surgery. Urias made his sixth Minor League appearance on Monday night, pitching two innings for Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga.
But that came six days after his previous appearance of 2 1/3 innings. The Dodgers previously said Urias would be viewed as a reliever for this season, but he hasn't made an appearance without at least four days' rest, the lengthy recovery time an indication that he's not ready for the workload of a Major League reliever in a pennant stretch.
"He felt great, but [activation] Saturday just doesn't seem realistic in the sense of the level he's been pitching at," said Roberts. "He needs two, three days to rebound from that. I don't see Saturday. When we feel he's ready on a day-to-day basis to win Major League games he'll return."
• Yasiel Puig was awaiting a decision after having his appeal of a two-game suspension heard on Tuesday. Puig was suspended and fined for fighting and inciting a benches-clearing incident in a 2-1 loss to the Giants on Aug. 14. Giants catcher Nick Hundley received an undisclosed fine for his role in the incident.
Roberts said he expected to hear a decision either just before Tuesday's game or on Wednesday.