LOS ANGELES -- Concerning the "other guys" on the Los Angeles Dodgers disabled list -- i.e., those not named Matt Kemp -- there were a couple of pieces of interesting news on Thursday. One is that Juan Rivera probably isn't going to come off in time for Friday night's game at Colorado because he was still experiencing soreness in his left hamstring after his third rehabilitation game on Wednesday night, his first at advanced Single-A Rancho Cucamonga, although it wasn't severe enough that Rivera won't play again tonight for the Quakes, so he still figures to be back soon.

Hamstrings, though, are a sore subject around here right now -- get it, "sore subject''? -- so they're going to err on the side of caution with Rivera.

The other news was that second baseman Mark Ellis won't need knee surgery to go along with the surgery he already had on his lower left leg to clean out an infection. That means he is still on track to return about six weeks after the injury, which occurred on May 19 when he was flipped in midair while trying to turn the pivot on a double play and landed on the leg.

Here is the Dodgers' starting lineup for Thursday night against the Milwaukee Brewers, the first game of the second Kemp-less stretch of the season, and it includes A.J. Ellis hitting second for the first time in his career:

Elian Herrera, CF

A.J. Ellis, C

Bobby Abreu, LF

Andre Ethier, RF

Jerry Hairston, 2B

Adam Kennedy, 3B

Scott Van Slyke, 1B

Dee Gordon, SS

Chad Billingsley, RH