LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers optioned second baseman Alex Guerrero to Triple-A Albuquerque on Tuesday in order to make room on their roster for outfielder Carl Crawford to come off the paternity list.

The team signed Guerrero to a four-year, $28 million deal last October and Guerrero batted .300 with a team-leading nine RBIs in spring training, but the team felt he needed more minor-league seasoning. Guerrero had one at-bat, a strikeout, in the Dodgers' two-game sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks in Sydney over the weekend.

The Dodgers are going with a Justin Turner-Dee Gordon platoon at second base, at least until they feel Guerrero is ready for an everyday role.

Crawford stayed behind in Arizona when the Dodgers traveled to Australia awaiting the birth of his third child. The baby boy, Carl Leo Crawford, was born Saturday morning. Crawford's fiancee is former reality TV star Evelyn Lozada.