Major League Baseball

Slugger Ethier returns to Dodgers after DL stint

Published Jun. 1, 2010 2:37 a.m. ET

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Slugger Andre Ethier rejoined the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday after missing the last 15 games because of a broken right pinky finger.

He was reinstated from the disabled list before the game against Arizona, and received a loud cheer walking to the plate the first time before grounding out to end the first inning. Two balls went over Ethier's head in the top of the inning, including Justin Upton's two-run homer in which the right fielder hit the wall in a futile attempt to make the catch.

The Dodgers went 10-5 in Ethier's absence and are second in the NL West behind San Diego.

Ethier will play with a splint on his finger and use a foam pad on his bat to cushion it.

``I just tried it out and it looked like it would work out,'' he said. ``I just need a little extra padding to cushion it. It's still broken, but it's just not as painful. It's just sore.''

Ethier made two rehab appearances with Triple-A Albuquerque, hitting .600 with four runs scored and two RBIs on the road at Memphis.

``The only time I felt it when I was playing down there was when I went back for a ball against the wall and I banged up against it and the back of my hand hit it,'' he said. ``I got jammed once at the plate and didn't feel it. I hit one off the end of the bat and didn't feel it. So I felt comfortable enough to come back and give it a try.''

Manager Joe Torre said there are no restrictions on Ethier.

It was Ethier's first time on the disabled list in his five-year career. He was leading the majors with a .392 average and 38 RBIs when he went on the DL retroactively May 15.

The injury was caused by a mishap in the indoor batting cage at San Diego's Petco Park. He broke the top knuckle of his pinky after it slipped off the knob and shifted to the other side of the bat handle.

A doctor told Ethier it would take 4-to-6 weeks for it to heal completely.

``It doesn't hurt when you swing,'' he said. ``It's more from the glove when you open it up.''

Ethier said he changes the splint three times a day because it gets wet from sweat and becomes smelly. He said he doesn't know how long he'll have to wear the splint.

After Ethier was reinstated, the Dodgers optioned outfielder Xavier Paul to Albuquerque.

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