Dodgers activate OF Andre Ethier

MIAMI -- Nearly 5 months into a six-month regular season, Andre Ethier was finally added to the active roster Saturday by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The veteran outfielder, who broke his right tibia when he fouled a ball off his leg during spring training, was not in the lineup Saturday against the Miami Marlins,but he is expected to start in left field Sunday.

Coming off a 2015 season when he batted .294 with a .366 on-base percentage in 142 games, Ethier was expected to be a steadying influence on the Dodgers. Instead, he was one of 10 players to open the season on the disabled list and one of a record-tying 27 players the Dodgers have put on the disabled list this year.

He played in 11 games for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on a rehab stint in recent days, two of which were playoff games, before joining the Dodgers on Friday in Miami.

"It was a long summer, and these guys did a good job," Ethier said of his Dodgers teammates, who hold a four-game lead in the National League West heading into play Saturday. "I'm glad to be back and ready to contribute."

The Dodgers sound as if they will take things slow with Ethier at the outset. While he will play the outfield Sunday, manager Dave Roberts said Ethier could be used as a designated hitter during the upcoming three-game series at Yankee Stadium.

"I talked to (Roberts) yesterday and there are no promises this time of the year," Ether said. "It's one where you just figure out a way to come back, contribute and not get in the way of the good baseball these guys are playing. Whether it's a pinch hit off the bench, a double-switch late in the game, or it's a start here or there, I told him I am ready and can do whatever it is to help out."

Ethier's return date has been a moving target all season. He was supposed to miss 10-14 weeks at the outset, but wasn't even back to baseball activity at that time. By the All-Star break, there was talk that Ethier's season could be finished, but he made progress in August and made it back with three weeks to go, even if he might not be at full strength.

"It's good to have (Ethier) back, certainly, and I talked to him about it," Roberts said. "It's great to see that he is open to whatever role that we have for him. He will come off the bench tonight and then will be in left field. It's good."