Carl Crawford activated from disabled list, starts in left field

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers activated Carl Crawford from the disabled list on Tuesday, and placed him in the starting lineup for the second game of the series against the Marlins at Dodger Stadium.

To make room for Crawford on the roster, pitcher Zach Lee was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Lee was with the team for three days as long relief help but didn't pitch.

The Dodgers are down to 12 pitchers and a seven-man bullpen, after carrying 13 pitchers for the last 10 games.

Crawford is 3-for-11 (.273) with a double in five games this season, including three starts. Though the Dodgers plan to give Crawford as much rest as possible given his injury history to keep him fresh. He didn't complete any of his three starts, for instance, playing a total of 17 innings in left field.

He missed 15 games during this disabled list stint, and through Monday spent 199 of 542 games (36.7 percent) on the DL since joining the Dodgers in August 2012.

Crawford was 4-for-11 (.364) with two doubles and a walk in three games on a minor league rehab assignment, two games with Triple-A Oklahoma City, then one game with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga.

"I feel good, body feels good, back is all right," Crawford told Craig Minami on Sunday in Rancho Cucamonga.

Crawford rejoined the Dodgers on Monday in Los Angeles but was not activated because left-hander Wei-Yin Chen was on the mound.

The Dodgers have had five different players start in left field this season, and through 20 team games the players while playing the position have hit .263/.341/.447 with a team-leading eight doubles and 16 RBI, though most of that production came early.

Dodgers left fielders in the last nine games are 3-for-33 (.111) with a double and five walks.