Carl Crawford expected to rejoin Dodgers in next two days.

Carl Crawford

Carl Crawford hasn’t played for the Dodgers since April 27. He’s expected back from the disabled list Monday or Tuesday. (John McCoy/Staff photographer)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Carl Crawford is en route from Oklahoma City to Atlanta, where the Dodgers begin a three-game series Monday, and will be activated from the disabled list sometime over the next two days. Crawford hasn’t played since April because of a strained oblique muscle.

In eight rehab games at Triple-A Oklahoma City, Crawford had 11 hits in 30 at-bats, including two doubles, a triple and a home run. Crawford had four plate appearances with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga too, giving him 36 total.

Crawford’s return will give the Dodgers a glut of outfielders. Kiké Hernandez, Alex Guerrero and Scott Van Slyke are already backing up starters Andre Ethier, Joc Pederson and Yasiel Puig. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said the corresponding roster move is still being discussed.

Hernandez and Van Slyke can be optioned to the minors, but Mattingly said that Hernandez will remain on the roster as the backup to Pederson in center field. That leaves Guerrero, who can’t be optioned to the minor leagues without his permission, and Van Slyke, who can.

Van Slyke is the primary backup to first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, but Justin Turner (and on rare occasions, Ethier) have filled in at first base as well. He has a .252/.328/.435 slash line in 131 plate appearances this season.

Guerrero is essentially third on the depth chart at left field and third base. The Dodgers like his bat off the bench, though Guerrero doesn’t have a hit or walk in his last 16 plate appearances and he hasn’t homered since June 2.

“It’s going to be a tough decision,” Mattingly said. “There’s already been conversations about it. There’s been back and forth, different ways to go with it.”

The plan calls for Crawford to slot in behind Andre Ethier on the left-field depth chart. His return will allow Ethier to spell Puig in right field too — “just physically, (to) be able to give Puig a day here and there,” Mattingly said.

“I see times that Carl and Andre play. We have a chance to do some things. We’ll see where it goes. Carl’s been swinging the bat good. Dre’s been swinging the bat really good. These first two games, I don’t know if anybody’s swinging better than Andre. He’s squared up everything he’s swung at.”

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About J.P. Hoornstra

J.P. Hoornstra covers the Dodgers, Angels and Major League Baseball for the Orange County Register, Los Angeles Daily News, Long Beach Press-Telegram, Torrance Daily Breeze, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Pasadena Star-News, San Bernardino Sun, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Whittier Daily News and Redlands Daily Facts. Before taking the beat in 2012, J.P. covered the NHL for four years. UCLA gave him a degree once upon a time; when he graduated on schedule, he missed getting Arnold Schwarzenegger's autograph on his diploma by five months.