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May 23, 2010 - 5:23 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Detroit (24-18) at Los Angeles (24-18), 4:10 p.m. EDT

Despite a bevy of early season injuries, the Los Angeles Dodgers have rallied from last to first in the NL West and continued to pile up victories.

While the Dodgers could get a little healthier Sunday, the status of Detroit Tigers rookie Austin Jackson is unknown after he took a pitch off the helmet.

Los Angeles shortstop Rafael Furcal could return to the lineup for the first time in nearly a month as the Dodgers try to complete a three-game sweep of the visiting Tigers.

Nine Dodgers players have spent time on the disabled list in the season's first two months. Among them are the major league's top hitter Andre Ethier, Manny Ramirez and opening day starter Vicente Padilla.

Those absences haven't prevented Los Angeles (25-18) from winning 14 of 16 and seven of eight since Ethier, batting .392, fractured his right pinkie in batting practice.

The Dodgers could get one player back Sunday if Furcal is activated from the disabled list. The shortstop was batting .309 before his injury, which occurred while running to first base in the first game of a doubleheader against the New York Mets on April 27.

He came out of an extended spring training game Saturday healthy, according to manager Joe Torre.

"(It went) real good, only thing we wait for tomorrow is to see how his body feels," Torre told the Dodgers' official website.

Jackson, meanwhile, could take a day off after Los Angeles reliever Ramon Troncoso hit him with a pitch above the left eye in the eighth inning of Saturday's 6-2 loss.

The Tigers, though, were optimistic that Jackson, who was reportedly dizzy but walked off under his own power, avoided serious injury. He is batting .337 - best among major league rookies - with one homer and 11 RBIs this season.

"He appears to be OK, but you have to be extremely cautious with that type of situation" manager Jim Leyland told the team's official website. "So we're sending him over to the hospital to have him looked at, and then we'll go from there."

The Tigers have fortunately not had to endure too many extended injuries this season with only three players on the DL.

The Dodgers, meanwhile, have stayed on track with a pitching staff that's posted a 2.54 ERA during a 12-1 stretch.

Hiroki Kuroda (5-1, 2.87 ERA) will try to continue that run by earning his fourth straight win and third in as many outings. He gave up three runs over six innings in a 7-3 victory Tuesday night against Houston.

Kuroda has never faced the Tigers (24-19), but he's dropped four of five career interleague starts. Detroit starter Rick Porcello, meanwhile, was 3-0 with a 1.90 ERA in last season's four matchups with NL teams.

Porcello, though, has gotten off to the same start as his 14-9 rookie campaign. The right-hander won six of his first nine starts last season but is 3-4 with a 5.93 ERA heading into his ninth outing this season.

Porcello, who has never faced the Dodgers, has alternated wins and losses in his last five starts, including a 6-2 defeat to the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday. He worked seven innings for the second straight outing, allowing four runs and eight hits.

The Dodgers will try to record their first sweep in interleague play since May 19-21, 2006, against the Los Angeles Angels.