LOS ANGELES — Clayton Kershaw participated in a pre-game catch Friday, a brief workout that could force the Los Angeles Dodgers to re-think their timetable for their injured ace.

The Dodgers said it would be 4-to-6 weeks before Kershaw returned to the mound after a back injury forced him out of his most recent start after two innings. That caution lasted four days.

"He came in yesterday and felt really good," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "So the medication obviously he responded to. For him to get the go-ahead to start playing catch again, I think that's ahead of where we all anticipated so I'm going to be cautiously optimistic."

When asked if the Dodgers would have to, if there are no setbacks, adjust their time timetable, for the return of their three-time Cy Young Award winner, Roberts said, "Probably."

"That's why we were relunctant to put a timetable out there," he said.