Dodgers outfielder Scott Van Slyke hasn’t played since April 9. (Getty Images)

Scott Van Slyke said Thursday that he expects to be taking batting practice “within a week” after noticing improvement in his lower back in recent days. The outfielder/first baseman was cleared earlier this week to hit off a tee and take swings on short-range tosses.
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Dodgers outfielder/first baseman Scott Van Slyke still hasn’t resumed baseball activities and is taking longer than expected to recover from his sore lower back.

“Slykey feels better, but as far as baseball activities he’s not really doing a whole lot,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He’s moving around better, he’s out here during batting practice but not taking balls off the bat.”

Roberts added that Van Slyke is still a week away from hitting off a tee or playing catch.

Van Slyke had one hit, a double, in 10 plate appearances when he went on the disabled list April 10. The Dodgers had no intention of placing him on the 60-day disabled list at the time of the injury, but that seems like more of an option today than it did three weeks ago.

In any event, don’t expect Van Slyke to be activated when the Dodgers return home from their Tampa/Toronto road trip a week from tomorrow.

ATLANTA — When Scott Van Slyke hurt his lower back running the outfield in San Francisco, he did not leave the game immediately. He stayed in long enough to bat with the bases loaded against Madison Bumgarner and was hit by a pitch, driving in a run.

That final act of self-sacrifice will have to stand as Van Slyke’s last appearance in a Dodger uniform for a while. His lower back irritation is worse than originally thought, and manager Dave Roberts said that Van Slyke won’t resume baseball activities until next week.

From that point, “to get back to playing with us, it’s a couple, two, three weeks,” Roberts said.

All told, then, the injury could knock out Van Slyke for approximately six weeks.

Van Slyke is one of three Dodger left fielders on the disabled list, along with Carl Crawford and Andre Ethier. Ethier is on the 60-day disabled list and can’t return until June, while Crawford is slated to return Sunday. The Dodgers haven’t discussed moving Van Slyke to the 60-day DL.