Seo Has a Mixed Outing in Return From the WBC

Based on how he pitched in the World Baseball Classic, Jae Seo could be regarded as the best off-season acquisition made by General Manager Ned Colletti.

Based on how he pitched Thursday, Seo looked every bit the No. 5 starter the Dodgers figure they added when relievers Duaner Sanchez and Steve Schmoll were traded to the New York Mets for Seo and reliever Tim Hamulack.

In his first appearance with his new team, Seo gave up a run in the first inning and two in the second before settling down and throwing three scoreless innings. He gave up eight hits in the five innings and the Dodgers lost to the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-2, at Holman Stadium.

Seo, 26, gave up one run and seven hits in 14 innings pitching for Korea in the WBC, notching two wins. Before his start Thursday, a scout from another National League team said, “The Mets are crying. They want him back.”

Then the game began and he looked more like the pitcher who was 22-24 the last three seasons.

“That’s mostly from operating with a strange catcher,” Manager Grady Little said. “When a guy’s got the assortment of pitches he does, they’ve got to learn each other.”

Rookie Russell Martin was behind the plate, and for two innings Seo threw what Martin called. Seo took control of pitch selection the last three innings.

“The catchers don’t know my style of pitching or what I like to throw,” he said.

Seo’s fastball is only in the 87-mph range, and he relies on a curve, a changeup and a split-finger pitch. The Cardinals were jumping his first-pitch fastballs, something batters in the WBC didn’t do.

“I didn’t make enough of an adjustment facing big league hitters after facing the Asian hitters [in the WBC],” he said. “The Asian hitters are more patient. It takes away from their power, but they are better at making contact. The major league hitters are more aggressive.”

The learning curve extended to Martin, who is expected to make the opening-day roster because of a hamstring injury to Dioner Navarro.

“The second time through the lineup went a little smoother because I started to figure out the way he likes to throw,” Martin said. “Pitchers like him, they throw anything in any count. Where you set up is important. The first time you catch any pitcher is always tough.”

Because of off days, Seo is scheduled to make only two starts in April and would be a long reliever the rest of the month.

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Navarro said that although he believed he could be ready to catch opening day, he would start the season on the disabled list without complaining.

“I just want to work hard and try to be ready ASAP,” he said. “If they feel that is best for me, I have to feel that way too.”

Navarro has taken batting practice but admits he is not ready to play.

“It’s kind of disappointing that I got hurt this late in the spring,” he said.

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Shortstop Cesar Izturis is scheduled to have an MRI exam on his reconstructed right elbow the first week of April and is hoping to be activated by the end of May, which would be a month sooner than doctors had predicted