Carl Crawford activated from DL, Brandon Beachy sent to minors

ATLANTA -- The Los Angeles Dodgers activated outfielder Carl Crawford from the 60-day disabled list and optioned veteran pitcher Brandon Beachy to Triple-A Oklahoma City before their game against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night.

Crawford missed 75 games with a torn oblique muscle in his right side and worked his way back methodically during a 20-day rehab assignment at both Class A Rancho Cucamonga and Oklahoma City.

His rehab assignment was so long, he joked that he wondered whom he had angered in the Dodgers' front office. Crawford has a long-standing relationship with Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman from their Tampa Bay days.

"I thought me and Andrew were cool, but he left me 20 days in the county jail," Crawford joked.

Crawford was the Dodgers' starting left fielder before he got hurt, but Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said thatAndre Ethier, batting .287 with 10 home runs and a .371 on-base percentage, will remain the primary left fielder. Crawford will be the team's fourth outfielder.

The team will have to find someone to fill right-hander Beachy's spot in their rotation when it comes up Saturday in New York. The likeliest candidate would be minor leaguer Zach Lee, but the Dodgers continue to search aggressively for a starting pitcher on the trade market.

Beachy was 0-1 with a 7.88 ERA in two starts for the Dodgers. He'll continue his comeback from Tommy John surgery in the minor leagues for now.