Dodgers’ struggling offense: At the heart of the matter lies Manny Ramirez

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Umm, could it be the strained right calf is still a problem?

Could it be those dreadlocks are so long and heavy they’re slowing him down?

Could it be … ah, I haven’t got a clue. I just know this: Among the many Dodgers struggling, the most significant problem is the guy batting cleanup.

When the center of your lineup is off kilter, everyone else can drift out of orbit.

It’s not like Manny Ramirez is the only Dodger who suddenly can’t drive a baseball, but he is the one batting fourth. He is at the heart of things.

And for the last two weeks, he’s been all out of whack. He has three hits in his last 30 at-bats. Perhaps, not so coincidentally, almost the entire lineup has suddenly gone vapid.

‘Certainly when he’s not hitting, it makes it a little bit tougher,’ said manager Joe Torre. ‘But I don’t think we rely on him.

‘What’s gone on last year, and even earlier this year, we won a lot of games without him in the lineup. Not that you want a steady diet of that stuff. I think we may at times put a little extra pressure on ourselves. But I don’t think if he’s not contributing, we can’t produce.’’

Certainly, the Dodgers have a more balanced lineup than when Manny joined the team in 2008. Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp have come into their own.

But Ethier is still rounding into form after being on the disabled list. And Kemp, who had a modest eight-game hitting streak going (10 for 34, .294), saw it snapped in Thursday’s 4-3 loss.

If Manny is actually still struggling with the calf injury that previously had him on the DL -- and he looks like it with his outfield adventures -- he is, of course, not saying.

Now before anymore of you knuckleheads start commenting about the media ‘whining’’ about Manny no longer talking, understand this: We don’t care. We might miss his lightheartedness, but if he doesn’t want to talk, that’s his choice; it’s one less locker to have to stop at.

But the media is a conduit to the fans. When he doesn’t tell us what’s going on, he doesn’t tell you. He doesn’t explain it to the team followers. And his own, still numerous, fans.

So he plays and leaves, and keeps you wondering what’s going on. The explanation is unknown, but not the results. And not the need.

-- Steve Dilbeck