Dodgers’ Adrian Gonzalez sits out because of pinched nerve in back

Reporting from Denver —  Adrian Gonzalez was a late scratch from the Dodgers lineup Saturday after experiencing increased discomfort from the pinched nerve in his lower back.

Gonzalez is also expected to be sidelined Sunday for the series finale against the Colorado Rockies.

“We just want to get rid of it,” Manager Don Mattingly said.

Mattingly downplayed his level of concern.

“It just seems to be going away and then comes back when he plays,” Mattingly said. “Hopefully, a few days will get rid of it.”

Gonzalez, who leads the Dodgers with 28 home runs and 88 runs batted in, sat out two of the last five games of the Dodgers’ most recent homestand.

Asked whether Gonzalez would be shut down once the Dodgers secure the division title, Mattingly replied, “I don’t know. Depends how he feels. He’s going to want to keep playing. I think we would like him to keep playing. We want to get rid of it, though.”

When Gonzalez spoke to The Times on Friday about his condition, he said he wanted to remain in the starting lineup through the end of the regular season. Doing so, he said, would help him prepare for the playoffs.

But Gonzalez acknowleged his back problems were affecting him.

“My whole left side — my hamstring, my calf, my quad — everything feels weak and kind of dead, in a sense,” he said. “When I’m hitting, I feel like I have no backside. When I’m running, I feel like I can’t really push off my left leg.”

With Gonzalez unavailable, Yasmani Grandal moved from catcher to first base. A.J. Ellis started behind the plate.

On the mend

Utilityman Enrique Hernandez is expected to return Monday from the disabled list, when the Dodgers open a four-game series in San Francisco.

Hernandez ran at full speed Friday at the Dodgers’ spring-training complex in Arizona and didn’t report any problems Saturday.

Hernandez was the team’s primary center fielder when he landed on the disabled list Aug. 31 because of a strained left hamstring. Joc Pederson has reclaimed the starting role in Hernandez’s absence.

By returning Monday, Hernandez would be able to play for a week leading up to the playoffs.

The two other players sidelined because of hamstring injuries, outfielder Yasiel Puig and infielder Jose Peraza, aren’t expected to return in the regular season.

Extra bases

Corey Seager tripled in the sixth inning Saturday and has reached base in all 19 of his major league starts. The last Dodger to have a streak as long at the start of his career was Jim Gilliam, who reached base in his first 24 starts in 1953. … Andre Ethier hit his 300th double, in the sixth inning. Ethier is the fourth player with 300 doubles for the Dodgers since their move to Los Angeles in 1958.