Dodgers activate Carl Crawford from disabled list, option Zach Lee to Triple-A.

Carl Crawford

Carl Crawford has spent 16 days on the disabled list this year with a back injury after missing 75 games last year with an oblique injury. (John McCoy/Staff photographer)

The Dodgers activated Carl Crawford from the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday. He’s starting in left field and batting seventh against the Miami Marlins, who will send right-handed pitcher Tom Koehler to the mound. Crawford has never faced Koehler in his career.
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Some roster moves are coming after today’s game.

DENVER — Outfielder Carl Crawford and pitcher Louis Coleman will be added to the Dodgers’ roster for tomorrow’s game against the Miami Marlins. That means that two spots will have to be cleared after today’s game against the Colorado Rockies.

The Dodgers have carried eight relievers all this week, which manager Dave Roberts said would be the case prior to their road trip to Atlanta and Denver. It’s possible if not likely that this will change once the Dodgers return home. Zach Lee is an obvious candidate to return to Triple-A; I explained why in today’s notebook.

Three other relievers (Adam Liberatore, J.P. Howell and Luis Avilan) throw left-handed, and it isn’t often that a team keeps three lefties in a seven-man bullpen. Liberatore and Avilan can both be optioned to the minors. The Marlins have five left-handed hitting position players — more than most teams — so it isn’t inconceivable that Liberatore and Avilan both stay. It just seems unlikely based on precedent.

File all of this under the category of “educated guess.”

Carl Crawford hits pause on his rehab.

DENVER — Carl Crawford did not travel with Triple-A Oklahoma City to their road game in Iowa today. Instead, he’s flying back to California for a rehab game Sunday with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga.

Crawford went 0-for-4 in his first game, and 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs in his second. The Dodgers plan to activate him Monday for their series against the Miami Marlins.

Crawford is on the 15-day disabled list with lower back soreness.

Carl Crawford won’t return from minor league rehab until Monday.

ATLANTA — Carl Crawford‘s travel issue Wednesday will cost him an extra day of minor-league rehab.

The veteran left fielder was initially expected to rejoin the Dodgers as soon as he was eligible to return from the 15-day disabled list on Sunday in Denver. Now he’ll join the team Monday at home.

Crawford was sidelined with soreness in his lower back April 9. He joined Triple-A Oklahoma City for their game last night but did not play.

The Oklahoma City Dodgers play at home the next two days, then play Saturday in Iowa. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that Crawford will play in all three games, then play for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Sunday.

Crawford has three hits in 11 at-bats this season. The team hasn’t specified what travel issue delayed his arrival in Oklahoma City.

Carl Crawford isn’t starting a game in Triple-A today after all.

ATLANTA — Carl Crawford‘s minor league rehabilitation stint has been delayed by a travel issue. Crawford, who’s on the 15-day disabled list with a sore lower back, was supposed to be in the starting lineup for Triple-A Oklahoma City today.

Instead, this:

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said “there were some travel issues,” but declined to elaborate. Crawford was with the Dodgers in Atlanta on Monday and was scheduled to fly to Oklahoma City today.

Crawford is eligible to be activated Sunday, when the Dodgers wrap up a three-game series against the Rockies in Denver.