Van Slyke (hand) remains out of the lineup Wednesday against the Rockies.

EDGE Analysis

There's little doubt Van Slyke would be in there if he were able to properly grip and swing a bat, as the Dodgers are coming off a 16-inning game and facing another lefty in Jorge De La Rosa. However, with Van Slyke still ailing, Justin Ruggiano will make another start in left field. The Dodgers face yet another southpaw (Jeff Locke) in Friday's series opener against Pittsburgh.

Van Slyke is dealing with a sore hand, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

This explains why Van Slyke was left out of the lineup Tuesday against left-hander Chris Rusin. The Dodgers face another lefty on Wednesday (Jorge De La Rosa), but it's uncertain whether Van Slyke will be able to give it a go. Justin Ruggiano is starting in left field and leading off Tuesday.

Van Slyke will start against the Cubs on Saturday.

EDGE Analysis

He will replace Andre Ethier with Cubs lefty Jon Lester set to take the mound. After a tremendous season against lefties last year, Van Slyke has struggled to hit with any sort of power against southpaws in 2015, knocking out just three home runs and posting a .444 slugging percentage in 63 at-bats.

Van Slyke went 2-for-4 with his first homer since June 26 in Wednesday's win over the Reds.

EDGE Analysis

The long ball was a long time coming for Van Slyke, who hasn't lived up to his billing as a lefty killer this year. After posting a .315/.415/.630 line against lefties last year, he's seen those rates fall precipitously to .254/.407/.444 -- still strong on-base skills, but a large loss in power and average. Combine that with inconsistent playing time and you've got a player on the fringes of fantasy relevance.

Van Slyke is in the lineup Wednesday against Arizona. Van Slyke is getting his first start since Sunday when he went 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. He'll take over for Adrian Gonzalez at first base and bat fifth in the order against the left-handed Robbie Ray.

Van Slyke (back) was activated from the DL and is in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rangers. He will man left field and bat sixth against lefty Wandy Rodriguez after missing just over the minimum 15 days required by his DL stint. Van Slyke had one extra-base hit in 21 at-bats against lefties prior to hitting the DL, but he hit .315/.415/.630 against southpaws a year ago.

Van Slyke (back) will be activated from the 15-day disabled list Wednesday, MLB.com's Ken Gurnick reports. Van Slyke battled through some back issues in late May, but eventually landed on the disabled list. The injury is not considered serious, however, as he's expected to be activated when he's first eligible to come off the DL. If Van Slyke is in the lineup Wednesday, he'll draw the matchup against Texas' Wandy Rodriguez.

Van Slyke (back) went 2-for-4 with a home run for Triple-A Rancho Cucamonga on Monday. He's set to return to the Dodgers in a couple days.

Van Slyke (back) is expected to rejoin the Dodgers when they return to L.A. after a two-game series in Texas, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times reports. Van Slyke hasn't been available for the Dodgers since the end of May, but should return to see semi-consistent outfield and first base reps against left-handed pitching as early as Wednesday. He went 1-for-4 with a double in his first rehab start for High-A Rancho Cucamonga on Saturday. Since Van Slyke will serve in a platoon, his value will likely be limited to deeper and NL-only formats.

Van Slyke (back) will begin a rehab assignment with High-A Rancho Cucamonga on Saturday, David Vassegh of AM 570 Los Angeles reports. With his back discomfort subsiding, Van Slyke has been cleared to start playing in minor league games. He will be restricted to DH duty Saturday, but if Van Slyke can play he field Sunday without issue, he could return Monday when first eligible or shortly thereafter.