SAN FRANCISCO -- After he experienced a setback in his return from a sprained left ankle, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier's availability for the postseason is in question.

Ethier had to cut short his baserunning workout Tuesday at AT&T Park after experiencing soreness.

"It's frustrating to be where we're at right now, but we still have time," Ethier said. "Not a lot of time."

Ethier has been out since Sept. 13 with the injury, although he had a pinch-hitting at-bat Sunday in which he struck out. The Dodgers were fortunate Matt Kemp returned from a lengthy stint on the disabled list just three days after Ethier was hurt. Kemp once again has taken over center field, batting .300 in the 20 at-bats since he returned.

The Dodgers originally hoped Ethier would be in Tuesday's starting lineup. Now, they're targeting the regular season's final series, this weekend against the Colorado Rockies, to get Ethier back on the field.

"He's gotten a lot better, but it has been 11 days," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "I'm optimistic and hopeful, but ... we'll see."

If Ethier is healthy, the Dodgers will have four every-day players vying for three outfield spots in playoff games. Yasiel Puig and Carl Crawford are the other two.