Dodgers reliever Josh Fields pitched in a minor-league game Friday for the fourth time this month. After three outings in the rookie-level Arizona Summer League, he shifted his rehabilitation to triple-A Oklahoma City and threw a scoreless inning against the Iowa Cubs.

Yet Fields, who has been sidelined since June 26 with inflammation in his right shoulder, is still not ready to rejoin the team’s short-handed bullpen. Both Fields and Yimi Garcia (right forearm inflammation) pitched for Oklahoma City on Friday, but Roberts considers Garcia ahead of Fields.

“Josh is getting through it,” Roberts said. “But to say that he’s getting close, as in a week, I don’t see that happening. However many appearances he’s going to need going forward, to get him right, I can’t speak to that.”

Garcia has a 5.21 earned-run average in 20 appearances this season, his first year back from Tommy John surgery. Fields owns a 2.36 ERA and could be part of the bridge to Kenley Jansen when the closer himself returns from the disabled list.


Jansen left the Dodgers before Saturday’s game against the Seattle Mariners to return to Los Angeles. He is scheduled to visit his cardiologist Monday morning for an examination of his heart. Jansen is hopeful he will be activated later in the week. Jansen himself did not rule out pitching Monday.

Until then the Dodgers are using the duo of Kenta Maeda and Scott Alexander to close games. The pair will shift into the roles of setup men when Jansen returns. Fields could join that committee if he is effective.

Roberts suggested both Fields and Garcia could benefit from an extended slate of games in the minors.

“There’s a pitching component, and there’s also a competition component, as well, with as long as both of those guys have been out,” Roberts said. “To compete at the triple-A level I think is a benefit for both those guys. Once they do come back to us, then the competition box has been checked off, too.”


andy.mccullough@latimes.com

Twitter: @McCulloughTimes