Garvey advises patience with young players

Seeing the multitude of young faces in the clubhouse, former first baseman Steve Garvey said he hoped these Dodgers had the opportunities that players such as he, Ron Cey, Davey Lopes and Bill Russell were granted in the 1970s.

“I would love for these guys to be compared to our guys,” Garvey said.

“I would love for them to stay together for a long time, getting to All-Star games, getting to the World Series, winning a championship.”

Garvey said that the shortage of veterans in this Dodgers lineup reminded him of the situation he and other young Dodgers experienced in 1973.

“Very similar,” Garvey said.

But the similarities end there, Garvey said.

“They’re probably bigger, stronger, faster,” Garvey said of the current group of young Dodgers. “We were probably drilled longer in the fundamentals.”

Garvey’s group reached the World Series in 1974.

The former NL MVP warned that it could take time for the current group to find its footing.

“My feeling is that it takes five years to really understand the major leagues,” he said.

Furcal update

Rafael Furcal increased his workload, as he took grounders and threw from short to first.

“I’m tired from not having played for so long,” Furcal said.

Furcal said that he hasn’t been told by anyone that he might have to undergo surgery on his back if the latest round of treatment doesn’t work.

Furcal admitted to being frustrated about his prolonged absence -- he last played on May 5 -- but denied it was on account of his impending free agency.

His agent, Paul Kinzer, said that talks with the Dodgers about a contract extension won’t start until Furcal returns to the field.

New pitch for Troncoso

Right-hander Ramon Troncoso, who was recalled last week from triple-A Las Vegas, says he feels as if he has more pitches at his disposal than when he was in the majors earlier this season.

The 25-year old sinkerballer, who was a surprise inclusion on the opening-day roster and was optioned to triple A on April 16, said that he spent his time in the minors working on his slider and changeup. Of the slider, he said, “I found the release point where I would get the best rotation on the pitch.”

Troncoso said he threw the pitch several times Friday, when he struck out three in a scoreless inning against Cleveland.

Short hops

Nomar Garciaparra says he hopes to be on a minor-league rehab assignment next week. Garciaparra, who hit and ran Tuesday, said he had been receiving massages to break up scar tissue in his ailing right calf. . . . Jaime Jarrin, who is in his 50th season as the Spanish voice of the Dodgers, was honored in a pregame ceremony. . . . Hiroki Kuroda and Brad Penny will throw bullpen sessions today. . . . Chan Ho Park was unavailable to pitch in relief Tuesday because Torre wanted to rest his arm in case he has to make a second start in place of Kuroda. . . . Among the visitors at Dodger Stadium was second-round pick Josh Lindblom, a pitcher out of Purdue who was signed last week. Lindblom will report to Class-A Midland. A closer in college, he will pitch out of the bullpen at first, but the Dodgers are hoping that he will be starting by the end of the year.

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dylan.hernandez@latimes.com