Dodgers' Ethier might follow Kemp to DL

As if the eight losses in nine games wasn't enough to make for a bad road trip for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the club suffered what could be another significant injury.

Right fielder Andre Ethier left Wednesday's game in San Francisco in the middle of the first inning because of a left oblique injury. Ethier had walked and was erased at second base on a groundball double play by Juan Rivera.

"We'll talk to Sue (Falsone, team trainer). We'll probably have an MRI tomorrow to find out the severity of it and go from there," said manager Don Mattingly after the game.

Ethier, second in the National League with 55 runs batted in, is hitting .291 with 23 doubles and 10 home runs in 75 games after hitting just 11 home runs in 135 games last season.

The blow could be crushing for the Dodgers, who are already without center fielder Matt Kemp until likely after the All-Star break. If Ethier has to go on the disabled list, they would be without two batters who have hit 22 of the Dodgers' 45 home runs this season.