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LaRoche will be in the lineup

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Times Staff Writer

SAN DIEGO -- Andy LaRoche will be in the lineup tonight, and the Dodgers plan to use him regularly against left-handed starters.

Manager Joe Torre said LaRoche would start in place of first baseman James Loney, who is batting .254 off left-handers, or third baseman Blake DeWitt, batting .348 off left-handers. He said he did not envision a strict platoon.

“We’ll find somebody whose place he’ll take against left-handers,” Torre said. “Now that he’s here, we have to find places to get him enough at-bats so he can help us.”

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LaRoche was recalled Tuesday from at triple-A Las Vegas, where he also played second base. Torre said he did not see LaRoche starting at second for now.

LaRoche could have been the starting third baseman had he not been injured in spring training. He will not say he deserves the job now that he is healthy, not after DeWitt emerged from minor league camp to put his stamp on the position.

“He’s been amazing,” LaRoche said. “You can’t take a guy out of the lineup when he’s hitting the way he is and playing defense the way he is. That’s an obvious decision.”

Short hops

Center fielder Andruw Jones took batting practice, two weeks after knee surgery. He’s probably at least two weeks away from returning. . . . Padres Manager Bud Black said the team did not consider Jake Peavy’s 11-1 record against the Dodgers in activating him to start Thursday against L.A., rather than this weekend against the Cleveland Indians. “He’s never faced the Indians, and a pitcher might always have the advantage facing a team for the first time,” Black said.

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bill.shaikin@latimes.com

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