Dodgers trio sharing time at third base

LOS ANGELES -- Alex Guerrero gets the start at third base on Tuesday night against the Marlins, while a healthy Juan Uribe is out of the starting lineup for a third consecutive game for the Dodgers.

Uribe has started just four of the last 11 games, and is not hurt. Manager Don Mattingly said for all intents and purposes that he doesn't have a starter at third base, but rather a rotation of Uribe, Guerrero and Justin Turner.

"I don't like saying it like that, but third base this year has been a little bit like the outfield last year, trying to figure out that spot," Mattingly said. "JT we knew coming in was not a seven-day-a-week guy but needed at-bats, and we thought he'd get the all over a little bit."

Turner is hitting .309/.377/.655 with five home runs after hitting .340/.404/.493 last season. The surprise has been Guerrero, who was red hot early and is hitting .326/.373/.783 with six home runs.

"Alex has been the guy that's muddied the water, to his credit," Mattingly said. "Juan has swung the bat pretty well too. It makes it tough to try to find a spot to get all these guys in."

Turner has also started two games apiece at first base and second base, plus once at short in addition to seven starts at the hot corner. Guerrero has been able to squeeze in six starts in left field, while Tuesday night is his sixth start at third base.

Uribe is hitting .261/.297/.333, but had a 13-game hitting streak snapped on the road trip, and is the best defender of the three, at or near the top of the National League give or take a Nolan Arenado. He started 15 of the first 21 games at third base, and two of those days off were because of hamstring tightness.

Now he finds himself a part of a rotation.

As a group, Dodgers third baseman are hitting .328/.359/.566 with seven home runs, tops in baseball in slugging percentage and RBI (22), third in batting average and OPS, so the split is working for now.