Matt Guerrier injury: Dodgers RHP hit on thumb, X-rays negative

Matt Guerrier took a line drive off of his right thumb, on his pitching hand, on Tuesday night against the Padres, that could affect his status in the coming days. X-rays of Guerrier's thumb taken during the game were negative, but there was quite a bit of swelling in his thumb.

"It hit the nail I guess too, and pushed it back. Once I found out it wasn't broke I held a ball and tried to move it around as much as I can," Guerrier said after the game. "It hurts, and can do it with pain. We'll see."

Guerrier relieved Ted Lilly in the fifth inning with nobody out and Everth Cabrera on third base. Guerrier stranded the runner and got out of the inning, including a strikeout of Jedd Gyorko. But the last out was a liner by Yasmani Grandal that hit Guerrier's thumb. Guerrier was able to recover in time to field the ball and throw to first base for the out, but walked off the field holding his right hand and trying to stretch out his thumb.

On the season Guerrier is 1-2 with a 3.57 ERA in 25 games, and since May 1 he has been even better, with a 2.70 ERA to go with 10 strikeouts and three walks in 13⅓ innings.

Guerrier has pitched in three of the last four days and would likely be unavailable on Wednesday anyway, but with the Dodgers having eight days left on their stretch of 20 games in 20 days, might a roster move be needed to bolster the bullpen? Manager Don Mattingly said it was too early to know whether or not Guerrier would need to be placed on the disabled list.

"I'd be a little premature saying that now. He's going to have some inflammation and they told me his nail was mangled, Mattingly said (note: the nail didn't look "mangled"). "It's on his throwing hand, so we'll see."