Dodgers plan to move Nomar Garciaparra to shortstop
SAN DIEGO -- The Dodgers plan to move Nomar Garciaparra back to shortstop, giving them another option as they learned that injured incumbent Rafael Furcal was expected to sit out at least another least three weeks.
Manager Joe Torre said he hoped Garciaparra could begin a minor league rehabilitation assignment within the next week.
"The only thing I told him was, with the news with Raffy, go play shortstop," Torre said.
Garciaparra, a five-time All-Star at shortstop, has not played the position in three years. He was originally scheduled to play third base, but he suffered a hand injury in spring training, and rookie Blake DeWitt has since established himself at that position.
Garciaparra has not played at all since April 26 because of an injured left calf, his eighth stint on the disabled list in the last five seasons. Torre said the Dodgers will see how Garciaparra responds on his rehabilitation assignment before determining whether he can play there on a full-time basis.
"Let's wait until he plays some games," Torre said. "We'll see where we are at that point in time.
"If he's healthy, I think that can certainly be a benefit for us. He feels he can [play there], and that's good enough for us."
Neither Furcal nor the Dodgers originally contemplated his back stiffness would linger for five weeks. The Dodgers first replaced Furcal with rookie Chin-lung Hu, who was returned to the minor leagues on Monday after hitting .159. They acquired a veteran stopgap last Friday in Angel Berroa, a former American League rookie of the year who had been playing for the Kansas City Royals' triple-A Omaha affiliate.
Including Tuesday's game, the Dodgers have played 32 games with Furcal in the lineup and 32 games without him. They have averaged 5.4 runs with him, 3.3 runs without him.
Furcal was downcast and discouraged in the clubhouse. He had hoped to start a rehabilitation assignment this week, but he said he still was experiencing intermittent soreness in his back, five weeks after originally reporting the stiffness.
"I'm disappointed," Furcal said. "I want to play, but there's nothing I can do."
Dr. Robert Watkins, a back specialist, examined Furcal on Sunday and recommended he sit out two more weeks before considering a rehabilitation assignment. Furcal said he would need at least one week in the minors.
"I want to be 100% healthy," he said. "I don't want to come back and play for two or three games and then go back to the same place."
bill.shaikin@latimes.com
