Dodgers won't rush Olivera back to Triple-A
Prospect has been playing with Rookie-level club following hamstring strain
WASHINGTON -- There still is "no timetable" for when Hector Olivera will return to Triple-A Oklahoma City, Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi said on Friday.
Olivera hasn't played for Oklahoma City since June 20, when he suffered a left hamstring strain, and the club is taking a cautious approach to the injury. In the meantime, he continues to rehab and play games with the organization's Rookie-level Arizona League affiliate.
"It's not going to be in the next few days," Zaidi said of Olivera's return to Oklahoma City. "Just being conservative with the type of injury he has, and these things can be nagging, so we just want to make sure it's completely eliminated before we start ramping back up."
Olivera, a 30-year-old infielder from Cuba, signed a six-year, $62.5 million contract with the Dodgers in May and could be a factor at the big league level sometime this season. In 13 games for Double-A Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Olivera went 19-for-53 (.358) with two home runs and seven RBIs. Since going to Arizona, he is 5-for-16 with a double over six games.
Worth noting
• Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said he expects outfielder Carl Crawford to continue his rehab assignment at Oklahoma City through Sunday. At that point, the team will make a decision about activating him. Crawford, on the disabled list with an oblique strain, was 8-for-22 with three extra-base hits in his first six games at Triple-A.
• Mattingly announced that right-hander Brandon Beachy will start on Monday against the Braves in Atlanta, followed by lefty Brett Anderson on Tuesday. This will be the second turn in the rotation for Beachy, as righty Carlos Frias recently experienced more issues with the lower back tightness that put him on the DL on July 1. Mattingly said he expects Frias to resume throwing from a mound on Monday or soon after.