LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier is in danger of missing Opening Day for a second consecutive season.
Ethier has been dealing with back issues that flared up not long after the Cactus League schedule began. Unable to play in a game this week, Ethier underwent an MRI that revealed a mild disk herniation. He was given an epidural injection, and manager Dave Roberts told reporters at spring training in Arizona that he felt better.
The veteran outfielder still is not expected to see action for 10 days. Opening Day is in less than two weeks, making it slim odds that Ethier will be on the roster for the April 3 game against the San Diego Padres.
If he is not active, it will be the second consecutive season that Ethier has opened the year on the disabled list. He was out for most of the 2016 season after fracturing a bone in his left leg, an injury that occurred on a foul ball in a Cactus League game.
The Dodgers have a plethora of outfield options to cover Ethier, who figures to see time in left field or right field this season when he is eventually healthy. The Dodgers could go with Yasiel Puig and Franklin Gutierrez in right at the outset, while using some combination of Andrew Toles, Scott Van Slyke and Trayce Thompson in left. Joc Pederson is the regular center fielder.
ESPN's Doug Padilla contributed to this report.