SAN FRANCISCO — Left fielder Carl Crawford is not in the Dodgers’ starting lineup today and probably won’t play at all because of a lower back injury.

Crawford said he’d been dealing with tightness in the area since spring training. Only recently did it become painful enough that he mentioned it to the team. He said he hopes to be available Saturday, though a 90 percent chance of rain over San Francisco could mean no baseball for anyone.

Don Mattingly (among other managers) always made a habit of bluffing his way through questions about whether injured players would be available off the bench. Dave Roberts at least conceded that Crawford won’t play defense or pinch-run today, but said that Crawford might be able to pinch hit. Grain of salt.