Reliever Proctor is happy to be here

It’s not often that a player leaves the New York Yankees and improves his chance at playing in the postseason, but that’s the situation Dodgers reliever Scott Proctor may have found himself in while introducing himself to his new teammates Wednesday afternoon.

“I’m excited,” said Proctor, traded from the second-place Yankees to the then division-leading Dodgers just before the trade deadline Tuesday. “Any time you get a chance to be on a first-place team, that’s exciting. Hopefully I can pick up some key situations and get [some] big outs.”

Manager Grady Little said Proctor, 2-5 with a 3.81 ERA in 52 games with New York, will be used in middle relief.

“I let it be known to him that he’s going to get used a lot,” said Little, whose club sent Wilson Betemit to the Yankees to get Proctor. “He’ll be a big help for us in that part of the bullpen. Right now we’re scuffling a little bit but we will get it back on track and maybe this guy will be just what we need to get it going.”

Proctor, a 30-year-old right-hander, wore No. 43 in New York but never asked for that number -- which belongs to injured reliever Yhency Brazoban -- with the Dodgers.

“It’s just a number,” said Proctor, who will wear No. 45. “I’m just hoping to fit in anyway I can. And whatever I’m asked to do, do it the best I can.”

Derek Lowe threw 65 pitches in a bullpen session Wednesday then pronounced himself ready to start Saturday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“Everything went great,” said Lowe, who last week skipped a start for the first time in his career because of an irritated left hip. “The encouraging thing is right now I don’t have any type of discomfort whatsoever.”

Lowe last pitched against Houston eight days ago, but came out of that game after four innings when his hip flared up.

He’ll take fielding practice today to test his lateral movement.

Each pitch delivered to Barry Bonds during the first two games has been accompanied by flashes from dozens of cameras. But several Dodgers said that hasn’t made it any more difficult to pick up the ball.

“It’s Dodger Stadium. It’s tough to pick up the ball off the bat anyway,” third baseman Nomar Garciaparra said.

“It was a little weird at first,” said left fielder Luis Gonzalez, who added jokingly: “But I’m used to the paparazzi.”

Actually it may be bothering Bonds more than anybody, suggested center fielder Juan Pierre, who said the scene reminded him of an incident in the 2003 World Series at Miami’s Dolphin Stadium. Roger Clemens had announced his intention to retire after the season and many in the crowd of nearly 66,000 brought cameras to capture his final pitch, which came against Luis Castillo in the seventh inning. So many flashes went off during that at-bat Castillo, momentarily blinded, struck out looking.

“Luis,” Pierre said “had no chance.”

Bonds refused to answer questions about the flashes Wednesday.

Second baseman Jeff Kent, out of the lineup the last two games because of a strained hamstring, participated in pregame activities Wednesday but still wasn’t ready to play.

The Dodgers will place donation bins at all nine major entrances to Dodger Stadium tonight to collect new and used baseball and softball equipment for John Marshall High School, whose athletic program will also receive a $5,000 grant from the Baseball Tomorrow Fund.

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kevin.baxter@latimes.com