LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers reliever Scott Alexander is dealing with a hip issue, manager Dave Roberts said on Sunday, implying that the lefty could be next to go on the injured list.

Fellow left-handed relievers Caleb Ferguson and Tony Cingrani are close to full recoveries from oblique and shoulder injuries, respectively, and would be likely replacements for Alexander, who allowed a key single to left-handed hitter Juan Soto during Washington’s five-run eighth inning in Saturday night’s 5-2 Dodgers loss.

“He just couldn’t get his sinker down,” said Roberts. “He hasn’t been synced up yet. I think there’s a little something with Scotty’s hip, his delivery. He hasn’t had that consistent sinker this year, he hasn’t. And slider hasn’t been consistent. We need him to get back to that form of the past.

“As it stands, you’ve got to keep running him out there. But we’ve got to get the delivery, the execution right. So, I don’t want to go too much into it. I liked the matchup last night. Obviously, I could have gone a different way.”

Alexander, a sinker specialist, has allowed left-handed hitters an .870 OPS, compared to .451 for right-handed hitters. For his career, Alexander has been more effective against left-handed hitters.

Hill getting extra rest

Rich Hill will be pushed back in the rotation and Kenta Maeda will start in Hill’s place on Wednesday, Roberts said.

“Rich will pitch in Cincinnati, probably Friday,” said Roberts.

Beginning with Monday’s day off, the Dodgers will have four days off in the next 11 days, necessitating some juggling to keep most of the starters on normal rest. Clayton Kershaw will start Tuesday on normal rest.

One good reason for Hill not to pitch against the Padres on Wednesday night is former Dodgers slugger Manny Machado, who homered twice off Hill on May 4 in San Diego.

Verdugo celebrates mom

Alex Verdugo wore pink spikes on Mother’s Day, personalized to pay tribute to his mom. He gave her some shiny jewelry as a gift, with much bigger future plans if his career and salary continue their current uptrend. Verdugo said that’s the least he can do for a mother who also served as the family breadwinner and his advisor.

“She’s the reason why I’m here, taking care of all of us on her salary alone,” said the Dodgers rookie. “She paid for my baseball lessons. Baseball lessons, mental lessons about the mindset and strategies of baseball.

“She would find me the best instructors. We would drive from Tucson to Phoenix every weekend to play for a travel team based out of Phoenix, waking up at 4:30 in the morning. They made a lot of sacrifice for me, and I’m forever grateful. My goal is to look out for my family for everything they’ve done for me.”

Honorary Bat Girl goes to bat against breast cancer

Jessica Krouner of Chappaqua, N.Y., represented the Dodgers as an Honorary Bat Girl in support of the annual Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer, an initiative commemorated each Mother’s Day to raise awareness and money for research.

The 29-year-old Krouner was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer, but is cancer free after a year of intense treatment including six rounds of chemotherapy and six weeks of daily radiation. She competed her undergraduate degree, law degree, and treatment at UCLA.

Krouner was a top-five fundraiser in the Chicago Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure only four weeks after her diagnosis last Spring. She is involved with UCLA's Simms Mann Center and Sharsheret, a nationwide breast cancer support organization for women. She was recognized during pregame ceremonies on Sunday.

For the first time since the Honorary Bat Girl program’s inception in 2009, MLB has partnered with CrowdRise by GoFundMe to host a fundraising contest for each of the Honorary Bat Girls to raise money to benefit Stand up to Cancer (SU2C) and Susan G. Komen. The winner of the contest will receive a trip to the 2019 World Series. MLB will donate all funds from the contest to SU2C and Komen.

As has been tradition since 2006, players used pink bats and sported pink wristbands on Sunday.