Scott Van Slyke starts against another RHP Friday vs. Giants

Scott Van Slyke is making left field more of an even timeshare and less of a platoon, getting another start against a right-handed pitcher on Friday night against the Giants at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

Justin Turner and Carl Crawford were given days off on Thursday, but only Turner returns to the Dodgers lineup on Friday night. Van Slyke, who will likely start on Saturday against left-hander Madison Bumgarner, starts against his second straight right-hander on Friday.

Crawford, who started the first three games of the season and played 17 innings in left field, has a stiff lower back, per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.

Van Slyke is 1-for-4 with a double this season, with all of his plate appearances so far coming against right-handed pitching.

Chase Utley, starting his fifth straight day, has four career home runs against Giants starter Matt Cain in just 32 plate appearances, hitting .300 (9-for-30), though the two veterans haven't faced each other since 2013.

Adrian Gonzalez has faced Cain more than any other batter, with 85 plate appearances, and has hit .297/.376/.554 with four home runs, five doubles and 10 walks in his career against him.

A.J. Ellis returns behind the plate, having alternated starts so far with Austin Barnes.

This is where the Dodgers might miss Andre Ethier the most. Ethier, who is out up to three months with a broken right tibia, is a career .429/.449/.557 hitter against Cain. Though even that can be a little misleading, as the two have faced off for a total of three plate appearances since the start of 2014. Ethier began his career a ridiculous 16-for-27 (.593) against Cain through 2008, and is 14-for-43 (.326) since.

Buster Posey gets a planned day off on Friday, with the plan for him to return on Saturday afternoon to catch Bumgarner. Catching Cain on Friday night is Trevor Brown, batting eighth.