LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers got encouraging news on their injured regulars on Thursday, with expected early returns from Hanley Ramirez and Hyun-jin Ryu.
Ramirez took batting practice before Thursday's game against the Padres, and manager Don Mattingly said Ramirez remains on track for activation from the disabled list on Sunday, his earliest day eligible to return.
"For Hanley it's just a matter of him continuing baseball work, basically doing running and things like that," Mattingly said. "We feel like he's going to be ready to go Sunday."
Ryu threw in the outfield on Thursday then threw briefly off a mound in the bullpen. He is making progress from his strained gluteus muscle, and figures to be activated shortly after his first day eligible, Aug. 30.
"Hyun-jin is doing pretty good. We feel like the timetable for his time frame to come off will be within a day or two," Mattingly said. "We feel like he's going to be fine."
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Juan Uribe, on the disabled list with a strained right hamstring, also took batting practice on Thursday and also fielded a few ground balls. He continues to progress, though Mattingly said Uribe is still "a ways away" from returning. Uribe last played on Aug. 15.
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Clayton Kershaw, pressed into duty on regular rest on Thursday, with Zack Greinke pushed back to Saturday with elbow soreness, is scheduled to make his next start on Wednesday in Arizona, on five days rest. The Dodgers are off Monday and Thursday next week and Mattingly said he plans to use his off days to give his starting pitchers extra rest.
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Chris Perez threw in the bullpen at Dodger Stadium on Thursday and is scheduled to continue his minor league rehab assignment with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga with outings on Friday, Tuesday, then next Friday, Aug. 29. Perez, on the DL with bone spurs in his right ankle, will likely be activated from the DL once rosters expand in September.
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Paco Rodriguez, sidelined with a strain of his teres major muscle, threw submaximally on Wednesday, estimated by Mattingly at roughly 70 percent effort.
"It will be into September before we would see him," Mattingly said. "We're hoping that he would be to throw some kind of minor league game before those seasons end, but it depends on how he progresses."
Minor league regular seasons for Class-A Great Lakes through Triple-A Albuquerque run through Monday, Sept. 1. The rookie-level Ogden Raptors in the Pioneer League play their last game on Thursday, Sept. 4.
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Miguel Rojas gets the start at shortstop on Thursday, his first start since Saturday. Mattingly said he didn't want to play Erisbel Arruebarrena every single day, especially since he recently came off the disabled list and has played five straight days, including three minor league rehab games in Arizona.