Dickerson (back) will make his spring debut Saturday against the Brewers, MLB.com's Bill Center reports.

EDGE Analysis

Dickerson is a little behind most of his teammates, as a back injury has kept him out of action to this point, but he will get the start at DH and hit cleanup Saturday. He is fourth on the Padres' outfield depth chart, but a big spring could change that. It is possible that Dickerson is just a Quadruple-A bat, as he has been old for his level and has taken advantage of hitter-friendly conditions in the upper levels of the minors, but in NL-only formats he is worth a gamble.

Dickerson (back) is practicing in full Thursday, and while he's unavailable for game action, he could DH on Saturday if his rehab goes well in the meantime, Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

EDGE Analysis

The outfielder is competing for a starting spot with Hunter Renfroe, Travis Jankowski and fellow injured fly-catcher Manuel Margot (knee). Dickerson has the pop to contribute to deep mixed fantasy owners if he can find consistent at-bats, and the fact he hits left-handed may work in his favor should he show thump over the next few weeks.

Dickerson (back) will go through most of Tuesday's practice, MLB.com's Bill Center reports.

EDGE Analysis

This will be the left fielder's biggest test yet in his return from a sore back. If everything goes well, he could be back in Cactus League action in a week or so. Dickerson may open the year as a left-handed bat off the bench, but could earn a more significant role if any of the three young outfielders ahead of him struggle over the next couple months.

Dickerson (back) is running at full speed and is closer to playing in games, Bill Center of Padres.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Although Dickerson continues to progress, Manager Andy Green remained cautious as to his return. "We don't want to hurry him into another setback," he said. The young slugger has been steadily participating in more baseball activities this spring and should see plenty of Cactus League action before the season begins. Dickerson is coming off a strong rookie campaign and is expected to be the everyday left-fielder for the Padres going forward.

Dickerson (back) played catch for the first time since the first time since the opening week of camp, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Dickerson said he was feeling good after the light throwing session, a small but important step on the road to recovery. Nonetheless, expect the Padres to be apprehensive with putting him back in game lineups before he feels completely healthy. A clearer timetable should be available as he progresses towards regular workouts.

Manager Andy Green says Dickerson (back) will not see game action this week, Bill Center of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Green cautioned that the injury is a "little bit of a slow process" so there's still no definite timetable for his return. However, the Padres likely won't rush the young slugger back into activities until he feels completely healthy. Dickerson emerged as a power threat for San Diego last season, finishing the year with a .455 slugging percentage and a .788 OPS.

Dickerson (back) feels "substantial improvement" Thursday but remains on the sidelines, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The nagging back stiffness will probably keep him out at least a few more days, though San Diego won't want to rush him back if it's more serious than initially thought. He'll probably undergo some tests to determine a more concrete timetable, so fantasy players can have a clearer picture on the sneaky power prospect in the coming weeks.

Dickerson (back) was held out of workouts for a third straight day Wednesday and will be examined by team doctors, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

EDGE Analysis

What was initially thought to be a fairly minor ailment seems to be sticking around longer than expected, so the young outfielder will head to the trainer's table to see if there's a larger problem presenting itself. Back injuries are always a rough time given how much every baseball activity utilizes the back, but the severity of this particular issue is currently unclear. Once the results of the examination are revealed, a timetable for Dickerson's return to spring training should become clearer.

Dickerson was held out of workouts on Monday due to back stiffness, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Manager Andy Green added that he didn't expect it to be a long term thing, but only time will tell at this point. The 26-year-old is looking to build on a strong rookie campaign where he slashed .257/.333/.455 while knocking 10 home runs.

After hitting 10 homers in 285 plate appearances last season, Dickerson is the favorite to start in left for Opening Day.

EDGE Analysis

Dickerson had a sneaky good season last year, hitting 10 home runs with a .333 on-base percentage. If you extrapolate those numbers over the course of a whole season, you could be looking at a poor man's Kole Calhoun (18-20 homers with solid on-base totals) for leagues that use on-base percentage instead of batting average. Dickerson also showed no ill effects from playing half his games at Petco Park. In fact, he was a better hitter at home (.294 and 25.8 PA/HR) than on the road (.229 and 31.2 PA/HR).