Dodgers Lineup

Matt Kemp said the gluttonous run production is a result of the depth of the Dodgers' lineup. Manager Joe Torre said it's a reflection of the protection the middle-of-the-lineup hitters offer each other. But Andre Ethier said that the relentless attack that pounded out 18 hits in the Dodgers' 14-6 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night at Great American Ball Park was something that was years in the making. "That's what happens when you have a group of guys that have stuck together for so long like we have," Ethier said.

Shortstop Dee Gordon was out of the Dodgers lineup Saturday. He probably won't be in the lineup for the next couple of days, either. Manager Don Mattingly figures that sitting Gordon for a few days could help the 24-year-old leadoff hitter slow down the game mentally and catch his breath. Gordon, who is in his first full season as the everyday shortstop, was the only starting position player to not reach base in a 6-5 victory over theSt. Louis Cardinalson Friday.

Shortstop Dee Gordon was out of the Dodgers lineup Saturday. He probably won't be in the lineup for the next couple of days, either. Manager Don Mattingly figures that sitting Gordon for a few days could help the 24-year-old leadoff hitter slow down the game mentally and catch his breath. Gordon, who is in his first full season as the everyday shortstop, was the only starting position player to not reach base in a 6-5 victory over theSt. Louis Cardinalson Friday.

"It's different, I know," Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly said of his unusual lineup Tuesday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Right fielder Andre Ethier made his first regular-season start in center field. Scott Van Slyke, in only his fourth big league game, batted third ahead of Ethier. Jerry Sands played left field on his first day up from triple-A Albuquerque. With slugger Matt Kemp and several others on the disabled list, Mattingly had cause to be creative. But despite the shuffling, the Dodgers struggled to score against starter Wade Miley and fell to the Diamondbacks, 5-1, at Dodger Stadium.

With a splint on his right pinkie finger and foam pad on the knob of his bat, Andre Ethier returned from the 15-day disabled list Monday for the Dodgers' series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Making his first start since May 14 but still entering the game as the Dodgers' leader with 11 home runs and 38 runs batted in, Ethier insisted that his new accessories weren't indications that his swing was in any way impaired by his fractured digit. "It's still broken, but it's just not as painful," Ethier said.

Reporting from Chicago -- Andre Ethier , the leading hitter in the major leagues, could be back in the Dodgers' lineup as soon as Sunday. "As of right now, there's no indication why not," Ethier said Tuesday, after taking live batting practice for the first time since he suffered a broken little finger 10 days ago. The Dodgers had projected Ethier would sit out up to six weeks, but a custom splint has protected the finger so well that...

Two hours before leaving Dodgertown for Los Angeles Thursday, Darryl Strawberry wanted to put himself through one last spring-training test. He was running toward second base, his line drive bouncing toward the outfield fence. The decision was spontaneous. "I said, 'Man, I might as well check out my leg, see what happens,' " Strawberry said. Moments later, he was sliding into third base with a triple. Strawberry is returning home a happy man with a sound right hamstring.

MILWAUKEE - When Matt Kemp talks about his sizzling start at the plate this year, he points to the two teammates batting behind him in the Dodgers lineup: Andre Ethier and Juan Rivera. Before the Dodgers' game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on Tuesday night, Kemp was asked whether pitchers can still throw around him, giving Kemp little to hit and possibly walking him. "They can't," Kemp replied. "It definitely helps that I have Dre hitting behind me," Kemp said of Ethier.

PHOENIX -- Ted Lilly was scheduled to face the San Diego Padres Wednesday, but will instead pitch in a minor-league game on a practice field at Camelback Ranch. There were two reasons for the move. With Lilly scheduled to face the Padres on March 27 and again in his first start of the regular season, Manager Don Mattingly wanted to limit the number of times the division rival saw him. Also, a rain-shortened game on Sunday limited the workload of some relievers competing for the final roster spot and Mattingly wants to see them pitch in game conditions.

HOUSTON -- The cavalry may soon be riding to the Dodgers' rescue -- and not a moment too soon since the team's disabled list grew again Monday when an MRI exam revealed outfielder Juan Pierre could be out a month to six weeks because of a sprained left knee. Shortstop Rafael Furcal, sidelined since May 6 by a sore back; third baseman Nomar Garciaparra, out two months because of a strained calf; and outfielder Andruw Jones, who had knee surgery a month ago, all made rehab starts Monday for triple-A Las Vegas, the first steps toward what could be a rapid return to the Dodgers' lineup.

MILWAUKEE - When Matt Kemp talks about his sizzling start at the plate this year, he points to the two teammates batting behind him in the Dodgers lineup: Andre Ethier and Juan Rivera. Before the Dodgers' game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on Tuesday night, Kemp was asked whether pitchers can still throw around him, giving Kemp little to hit and possibly walking him. "They can't," Kemp replied. "It definitely helps that I have Dre hitting behind me," Kemp said of Ethier.

PHOENIX -- Ted Lilly was scheduled to face the San Diego Padres Wednesday, but will instead pitch in a minor-league game on a practice field at Camelback Ranch. There were two reasons for the move. With Lilly scheduled to face the Padres on March 27 and again in his first start of the regular season, Manager Don Mattingly wanted to limit the number of times the division rival saw him. Also, a rain-shortened game on Sunday limited the workload of some relievers competing for the final roster spot and Mattingly wants to see them pitch in game conditions.

Hiroki Kuroda essentially had a reprieve from baseball purgatory. The Dodgers wanted to trade him to a contending team, perhaps the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox. By waiving the no-trade clause in his contract, Kuroda could have pitch in packed ballparks instead of an empty one. He could have pitched again in October, maybe even won a World Series. He declined that opportunity, informing the Dodgers on Saturday that he would veto any trade. "It's his decision," Rafael Furcal said.

Rafael Furcal is expected to return as the Dodgers shortstop Sunday. Less certain is where he'll hit in the batting order. Tony Gwynn Jr.'s emergence as a capable leadoff hitter could thrust Furcal lower in the order. "More than anything, he's taken over that leadoff spot and that's really an area that we've scrambled with all year," Manager Don Mattingly said of Gwynn, who was batting .274 in the leadoff spot before Saturday's game as opposed to his overall .255 average.

Rafael Furcal wasn't in the Dodgers lineup against the San Diego Padres on Saturday night — only this time, it wasn't by design. Furcal hurt his left wrist on a checked swing earlier in the week in Colorado, Manager Don Mattingly said. Because Furcal could throw the ball without discomfort, Mattingly sent him to the field at Petco Park to play shortstop when Friday night's suspended game was resumed Saturday afternoon. When Furcal's turn to hit came in the 10th inning, Mattingly replaced Furcal with a pinch-hitter.

In the last couple of weeks, Casey Blake played only in informal minor league games on the back fields of spring-training complexes, taking as many at-bats as he pleased. So when Blake, who had a sore back, was activated from the 15-day disabled list Wednesday, he had to be mindful of the rules of major league competition. "I didn't know what to do there in the second inning," said Blake, who batted in the first. "I started to get my helmet. " Jokes and the final score aside, Blake's return to the Dodgers' lineup was a successful one. He reached base in three of his four plate appearances in a 7-5 loss to the Colorado Rockies.

Those employed by Frank McCourt have been noticeably uncomfortable when asked in recent days about Vladimir Shpunt , the 71-year-old Russian healer who was paid by the Dodgers owner and his estranged wife to send positive energy to the team from his Boston-area home. "Don't ask me about something like that," one player said. Even Manager Joe Torre , a master of handling crisis situations, did what he could to stay clear of the subject. Torre, who said he was unaware of Shpunt's existence until it was reported in The Times last week, insisted he hasn't read the paper's story — in part to avoid having to answer questions about it. Torre's first season with the Dodgers was Shpunt's last.

Dodgers' projected roster STARTERS (batting order) SS Rafael Furcal 2B Juan Uribe RF Andre Ethier CF Matt Kemp 1B James Loney 3B Casey Blake C Rod Barajas LF Marcus Thames STARTING ROTATION LH Clayton Kershaw RH Chad Billingsley RH Hiroki Kuroda LH Ted Lilly RH Jon Garland BULLPEN RH Jonathan Broxton RH Matt Guerrier LH...