LOS ANGELES -- Angels left fielder Daniel Nava tweaked his left groin in the early stages of Monday night's 7-6 victory against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, forcing him to leave the game early and possibly sending him right back to the disabled list.
Nava is slated to undergo an MRI exam on Tuesday, which will provide clearer indication on the severity of his injury.
The 33-year-old switch-hitter initially hurt himself while backing up center fielder Mike Trout on a fly ball in the early innings, then came out in the middle of the fifth, shortly after hitting a deep flyout. Shane Robinson replaced him in left field.
Angels manager Mike Scioscia said Nava "could be" headed to the 15-day DL, which would likely prompt left-handed-hitting outfielder Rafael Ortega, the club's No. 22 prospect per MLB Pipeline, to be recalled.
"I've never had that happen before," Nava said, "and I don't know what to base it off of, if it's serious or not, because I've never experienced anything with my groin."
Nava, signed to a $1.375 million contract over the offseason, recently recovered from tendinitis in his left knee, an ailment that forced him to spend three weeks on the DL. He was starting to find his swing, with five hits over his previous four games.
"It's very frustrating," said Nava, batting .222. "It's not the knee, it's not anything that I was dealing with. So I'm on top of all the other stuff, and then this happens. It's frustrating."