GLENDALE, Ariz. - The Los Angeles Dodgers might lose their shortstop for 2-10 weeks because of a thumb injury suffered in Tuesday night's World Baseball Classic final.

Hanley Ramirez returned to Arizona from San Francisco on Wednesday and was scheduled to have an MRI that will give the Dodgers a better idea of the severity of the thumb injury.

The team is not expected to see results from the MRI until Thursday morning.

In the meantime, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said he was given "a pretty big window" of how long Ramirez might be out.

"They kind of just painted both pictures," Mattingly said of the reports he got from team president Stan Kasten and trainer Sue Falsone, who were in contact with doctors at AT&T Park on Tuesday night. "On the optimistic side, he had another at-bat. It's just a sprain. It's a couple weeks.

"On the pessimistic side, it could be something major and it's more long-term, 8-10 weeks. ... Until we get the MRI, we're guessing."

Ramirez was playing third base for the Dominican Republic when he dived to his left on a base hit to left field. He came up shaking his right thumb in obvious discomfort. He did stay in the game and singled in his next at-bat before being replaced in the field by Miguel Tejada for the sixth inning. After the game as the Dominican team celebrated its victory over Puerto Rico, Ramirez was wearing a splint on his right thumb.

Dominican Republic manager Moises Alou said Ramirez jammed his thumb and "it was pretty swollen."

"It was weird. I watched the first part of the game," Mattingly said. "I was having dinner. Everything was good. Got home, turned it back on � I didn't see the play. I was sitting there and got a call from Sue that they'd pulled Hanley out of the game. I saw the replay later.

"Obviously, him coming out of the game � that's a pretty big game. Guys don't want to come out of them."

Mattingly changed the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Kansas City Royals, moving Luis Cruz from third base to shortstop. Dee Gordon is currently limited by a sprained left ankle but Mattingly said Cruz would be his first choice to replace Ramirez if he is out for an extended period.

"That's really who was doing it last year and it kind of settled us down at short when we put Luis there," Mattingly said, referring to the stretch between Gordon's dislocated thumb in early July and Ramirez's arrival by trade later that month.

Mattingly indicated he would use a combination of Juan Uribe, Jerry Hairston Jr. and Nick Punto at third if he has to move Cruz to shortstop.

GREINKE SEEMS OK

Wednesday morning delivered a new injury concern for the Dodgers with word that Hanley Ramirez had sprained his right thumb during the World Baseball Classic final.

But Wednesday afternoon brought some assurances that another concern is quickly evaporating. Right-hander Zack Greinke pitched four innings in a minor league camp game, his first time throwing to hitters since inflammation in his elbow sent him to Los Angeles for an examination 10 days ago.

Against a team of Triple-A level players from the Chicago White Sox organization, Greinke gave up a single and hit a batter in four innings. He threw 43 pitches to 13 batters, looking sharp.

"I felt good," Greinke said. "It wasn't perfect command. You saw me get a little upset about a couple pitches. But it was my first outing in two weeks. I guess that's kind of expected.

"My arm felt really good today, felt strong. It's just that the pitches aren't 100 percent crisp yet."

Greinke said his elbow problem wasn't an issue and, in his mind, there was nothing to test in that regard. His focus is on getting ready to start the season, not to prove that his elbow is sound.

Greinke has pitched only five innings in two Cactus League starts. He is tentatively scheduled to pitch again Monday and then March 30, possibly in minor league games. That would set him up to pitch April 5 in the Dodgers' fourth game.

NOTES

The Dodgers released former Angels third baseman Dallas McPherson from minor league camp. McPherson, 32, was signed to a minor league deal over the winter. ... Former first-round pick Chris Withrow was optioned to minor league camp, trimming the spring roster to 39. ... Right-hander Chad Billingsley threw a bullpen session and is on track to start Saturday, most likely in a minor league camp game while left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu starts the Cactus League game against the White Sox. Billingsley was scratched from his scheduled start Tuesday after bruising the index finger on his right hand during a bunting drill last week.