Javy Guerra

Despite the return of outfielders Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier, the Dodgers' offense scuffled again, but Mark Ellis' two-run home run in the sixth inning lifted the Dodgers to a 2-1 victory over the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium on Friday night. The Padres scored in the second inning and held a 1-0 lead until the bottom of the sixth inning, when Ellis saved the day in an otherwise futile offensive output. Tony Gwynn Jr.reached on an infield single as a pinch-hitter for Clayton Kershaw.

Are you feeling dangerous? Enough so that you're actually willing to count on reliever Ronald Belisario? That's a historically dangerous proposition, given the DUI and the rehab and suspensions and restricted list and visa issues. Not to mention the 5.04 earned-run average the last time he was seen. But you have to give it to him right now, because he's been an absolute monster. He's not only reverted back to his 2009 form (2.04 ERA) when he was lights out, he's actually upped it a notch.

Even as wounded Dodgers begin to return, there seems no end to the wave of injuries that continue to befall the first-place club. Shortstop Dee Gordon is the latest to be lost for a significant amount of time to the club, the Dodgers announcing prior to Thursday's game that he will undergo thumb surgery for a torn ulnar collateral ligament. Gordon is scheduled to undergo surgery Friday and is expected to be lost for approximately six weeks. The shortstop was replaced on the roster by reliever Javy Guerra, himself just coming back from knee surgery.

When Matt Kemp starts his minor league rehabilitation assignment for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga on Tuesday, he will be met by a capacity crowd at the Epicenter. The first game of Kemp's rehabilitation assignment is sold out, a spokesman for the minor league club said. Kemp confirmed he plans to be Rancho Cucamonga's designated hitter Tuesday. Sidelined since May 31 with a strained left hamstring, Kemp will play in minor league games right up to the All-Star break, during which he will compete in the Home Run Derby.

The Dodgers have finalized an agreement with their first-round draft pick, infielder Corey Seager of Northwest Cabarrus High in Concord, N.C. Seager will receive a bonus of $2.35 million, according to people familiar with the deal who spoke under the condition of anonymity because it isn't expected to be announced until Saturday. Seager was selected with the 18th overall pick, which was designated a slot value of $1.95 million by the commissioner's office. The deadline to sign draft picks is July 13. Seager, 18, is the younger brother of Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager . He was the first position player to be taken with the Dodgers' top pick since first baseman James Loney in 2002.

Starved for good news, the Dodgers received a morsel Thursday and devoured it. When you've lost eight of nine, been shut out by your rival the last three games and are playing without your No. 2, 3 and 4 hitters, a crumb can feel like a feast. The good news arrived via the medical review of the MRI taken on Andre Ethier's strained left oblique muscle. Ethier's injury was not deemed serious enough to place him on the disabled list, at least for now, and the Dodgers called him that favorite medical standby - day-to-day.

The days on the bench have turned into weeks. The weeks are about to turn into months. Matt Kemp is still waiting to play. "It feels weird," Kemp said. "It definitely feels weird. I miss baseball. I want to play. " Kemp shook his head. "Things happen, things happen for a reason," he said. "It's where I'm at right now. This is part of my life. This is part of baseball right here, getting hurt. " Kemp has played in only two of the Dodgers' last 37 games.

OAKLAND — When relief pitcher Ronald Belisario returned to the Dodgers on May 4, the team did not know what to expect. After all, the hard-throwing Venezuelan had not pitched for the Dodgers since Oct. 1, 2010, because of various personal problems, including a 25-game suspension at the start of this season. But since Belisario rejoined the club, "It's been a nice surprise," Manager Don Mattingly said. Entering Wednesday's play, Belisario was 3-0 with a 1.25 earned-run average.

Chris Capuano fell short Sunday of becoming one of the few big league pitchers to reach nine wins this season. But not by much. Capuano (8-2) struck out 12 Chicago White Sox batters while giving up one run in a season-high eight innings. The left-hander lowered his earned-run average to 2.71 from 2.87. As the Dodgers rallied for a 2-1 win in 10 innings, Capuano had no decision and reliever Ronald Belisario earned the win. The 12 strikeouts were the most for Capuano since Aug. 26, 2011, when he struck out a career-high 13 for the New York Mets against the Atlanta Braves.

As long as Andre Ethier continues to play regularly, he shouldn't have any problems extending his recently signed five-year, $85-million contract by another year. Ethier's deal includes a $17.5-million team option for a sixth year, in 2018. If the Dodgers decline the option, they would owe him a $2.5-million buyout fee. But the sixth year in the deal will become guaranteed if Ethier makes 550 plate appearances in 2017 or a combined 1,110 plate appearances in 2016 and 2017, according to people familiar with the contract.