Martin ready for star turn

SAN FRANCISCO -- Russell Martin has never played in Yankee Stadium. He has never visited the ballpark as a spectator or even seen it from the outside.

Sunday morning, he learned that he’ll be there on July 15 playing in his second All-Star game as the event’s only Dodgers representative.

“This is my last opportunity,” Martin said of Yankee Stadium, which will close at season’s end. “There are a lot of people in this game that are never going to have the opportunity to play there. I feel like I’m fortunate.”

Martin, who was the National League’s starting catcher last year, made the team as a reserve. He finished sixth in fan balloting among NL catchers, receiving 1,011,539 votes. Geovany Soto of the Chicago Cubs was the leading vote-getter in the NL at the position, receiving 3,096,135 votes.

“Last year, I was nervous because it was my first time at the All-Star game,” Martin said. “I think this year it’s going to be a little more relaxing. I’m going to try to enjoy it a little bit more.”

Martin is hitting .305 with nine home runs and 42 runs batted in.

New start for Jones

Andruw Jones, who was activated from the disabled list Friday, was out of the lineup, as were Nomar Garciaparra and Jeff Kent. But Jones entered the game as a seventh-inning defensive replacement and singled to center in the next inning for his first hit in nearly two months.

Jones, who underwent knee surgery on May 27, last had a hit on May 15. His single Sunday ended an 0-for-21 drought.

Manager Joe Torre said Garciaparra would be put on a playing schedule similar to Kent’s to ensure he gets enough rest to avoid injury, but added that such precautions wouldn’t be necessary for Jones.

Jones agreed. “I should be playing until the All-Star game,” he said.

Jones, who is hitting .161 with two home runs and was booed at Dodger Stadium this season, said he was looking forward to playing at home and mending his relationship with fans.

“It’d be nice to come back and get a nice welcome,” he said.

One extreme to the other

Not so long ago, Takashi Saito was underworked and rarely pitching in save situations. Sunday, he picked up his fifth save in nine days.

Saito touched 97 mph on the radar gun at AT&T; Park but was unimpressed.

“When you have so many hard throwers pitching in front of you, 97 doesn’t seem like that big a deal,” he said, referring to the likes of Jonathan Broxton and Brian Falkenborg. He noted that it was around this time last season that he clocked a career-best 99 mph.

Saito, who earned his 16th save, gave up a run and two hits in the ninth inning.

“I got hit, but I got hit challenging people, so it doesn’t bother me that much,” he said.

Short hops

Bullpen coach Ken Howell, who had a toe amputated last week, was released from the County-USC Medical Center. He won’t rejoin the Dodgers until after the All-Star break. . . . Juan Pierre has started walking without crutches. . . . Mark Sweeney will begin a minor league rehab assignment with triple-A Las Vegas this week. Top pitching prospect Clayton Kershaw, who was sent to the minors July 2, will start for double-A Jacksonville today.

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dylan.hernandez@latimes.com