Ahmed improving, but likely out for weekend

LOS ANGELES -- D-backs shortstop Nick Ahmed will likely be out through the weekend with a lower back injury -- and at least until the team returns home to play the Rockies on Tuesday -- manager Chip Hale said before Thursday's series finale against the Dodgers.

"I'd be shocked if he played before the Rockies series," Hale said. "But Nick Ahmed has shocked me before. So we'll see how he is tomorrow."

Ahmed left Tuesday night's win at Dodger Stadium in the seventh inning after sustaining the injury while making a brilliant diving stop and throw to retire Chris Heisey at second base. But Ahmed said he was feeling much better on Wednesday.

"The pain is still there, but it's manageable, and I'll hopefully keep getting better and get some more mobility the next couple of days," Ahmed said.

Ahmed got X-rays after Tuesday's game, which came back negative. He also received treatment on his back. Ahmed said the D-backs' trainers told him he might have sprained the AC joint in his left shoulder, landing on his front side while diving for Alex Guerrero's ground ball. But he hopes to start running and swinging the bat in the coming days before returning to the field.

At first, both Ahmed and Hale were worried that it could have been worse. When Hale checked on Ahmed, he said Ahmed told him he couldn't move around to field his position. Ahmed was also on crutches after the game.

"I was a little nervous last night," Ahmed said. "Just had a lot of numbness and tingling in my leg, and felt like I couldn't really move."

But Ahmed said the numbness and tingling are subsiding, which -- along with the clean X-rays -- signaled to the doctors that he hadn't sustained structural damage to his back. Hale said Ahmed does not need to get an MRI at this point.

Ahmed has played 134 games at shortstop for the D-backs this season. Chris Owings, who replaced him Tuesday night, also started Wednesday and Thursday.

Worth noting

• D-backs rookie reliever Enrique Burgos, who hasn't pitched since Sept. 11, is healthy, Hale said on Thursday. But he is working on mechanical issues with bullpen coach Mel Stottlemyre, and the team has been hesitant to use him in close games.

"There's just a little trepidation right now of putting him in a game," Hale said. "But we need to get him back to where he was at the beginning of the year, somehow, some way."