An earthquake rocked Southern California on Monday night, shaking the Los Angeles area and forcing a brief pause in the Toronto Blue Jays' baseball game against the Padres in San Diego.

The 5.7-magnitude quake was centred eight kilometres southeast of Ocotillo near the U.S.-Mexico border. It struck at about 9:30 p.m. PT, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The quake was initially reported as a 5.9 temblor.

It was felt as a gentle rolling motion in Los Angeles, Long Beach and Orange County. San Diego's Petco Park swayed during the earthquake, and the public address announcer asked that everyone remain calm. The crowd cheered.

David Eckstein of the Padres had just grounded out in the bottom of the eighth inning when the stadium began shaking. The next batter, Chase Headley, stayed out of the batter's box for a few seconds, then stepped in.

San Diego Sheriff's dispatch supervisor Becky Strahm said some of her colleagues reported things falling off their shelves, but there were no immediate reports of significant damage or injury.

The quake follows a series of temblors that struck Southern California over the weekend, including a pair of moderate earthquakes that rattled a desert area east of San Diego.

Residents in downtown San Diego said they felt the ground rumbling during at least one of the Saturday quakes.

There are no immediate reports of damage or injuries from Monday night's earthquake.