LOS ANGELES (AP) -Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal will be placed on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday because of a lower back strain that has caused him to miss Los Angeles' last five games.
Team spokesman Mark Rogoff said Furcal would go on the disabled list retroactive to May 6, making him eligible to return May 21. Rogoff said an MRI taken Monday confirmed the switch-hitting shortstop has a lower back strain. He'll receive a cortisone shot Tuesday and began rehabilitation Wednesday with team physical therapist Sue Falsone, Rogoff added.
Furcal is the third-leading hitter in the National League with a .366 average.
The Dodgers, who have lost four straight, open a three-game series Tuesday night in Milwaukee. They'll replace Furcal on their 25-man roster before the game, possibly with infielder Luis Maza, who has been playing at Triple-A Las Vegas.
Dodgers manager Joe Torre said before Saturday night's game against Houston he was hopeful Furcal would return to the lineup Tuesday night, but Furcal admitted Sunday he was worried about his back, saying the pain was the same he felt last September when he had to sit out 12 games.
``This is the type of thing where it feels fine one day and it doesn't the next,'' Furcal said, adding he couldn't run without pain.
Furcal didn't make the trip to Milwaukee with his teammates Monday.
