Dodger Notebook : Marshall Comes Back Swinging

On the fourth day of his battle with the flu, Mike Marshall was about to admit defeat and check himself into a hospital.

That was something Marshall, the Dodger right fielder, did not want to do. A hospital room certainly would not be as nice as Marshall’s Vero Beach condominium, and he figured he would have missed even more spring training time. So he didn’t do it.

Eventually, Marshall regained his health and strength. Friday, in the Dodgers’ 6-3 win over the Atlanta Braves, Marshall made his first appearance in six days. He went 1 for 4, hitting a sharp single to center field in his last time at bat in the eighth inning.

Marshall has had better days at the plate, but that wasn’t the important thing. He sort of feels like a kid who has missed a lot of school and frantically needs to catch up.

That’s precisely Marshall’s plan for the last eight spring games.

“I’m going to have four at-bats or play the whole game, whichever comes first,” Marshall said. “Today, the four at-bats came first. That way, I figure I’ll get about 30 at-bats before the season.”

Before Friday, Marshall had played in only nine games and hit .231. He missed two games and part of another because of a wart, which trainers removed, on the index finger of his left hand.

Then, the flu hit, although doctors also thought it may have been food poisoning.

“I’m back now, so at least it will give me a little chance to get stronger and get ready,” Marshall said. “After four or five days of it, when you feel really weak, lose a lot of weight, get dehydrated, you get concerned. I’m just thankful it happened now, not a week later when the season was starting.”

Marshall said he didn’t want to know how much weight he lost, so he didn’t weigh himself.

Manager Tom Lasorda, who will count heavily on Marshall, says a week is more than enough time for his right fielder to play himself back into shape.

“He’s just lost a little timing,” Lasorda said. “He’ll get as many at-bats as we can get for him and he should be ready by opening day.”

One good thing: When Marshall was flat on his back, he didn’t put any strain on it. His back bothered Marshall the second half of last season but he says it’s fine now.

For the second time this week, Rick Honeycutt pitched six solid innings. Honeycutt gave up two runs on seven hits, and although he wasn’t really thrilled by his pitching, he was encouraged that he still felt strong after his stint.

Honeycutt, bothered for several years by an arthritic condition in his left shoulder, has rarely been able to put together consecutive six-inning outings in the spring.

“Last spring, I couldn’t go past five innings,” Honeycutt said. “The spring before that, I couldn’t go past four. So, even though today I struggled a little and threw a lot of pitches, I was happy.”

When Honeycutt gets to a certain point in a game, his shoulder is so irritated and fatigued that he cannot continue. But Honeycutt is hoping he can extend himself and maybe even record a few complete games this season.

“To me, seven innings was a complete game (last season),” he said. “It was like somebody beating you over the head. Finally, you just ask them to stop doing it. I’d ask out of the game when my shoulder couldn’t take the beating. I’ve never had to do that before. It was difficult.

“This year, I think it’ll be different.”

Dodger Notes A Cleveland Indian scout attended Friday’s game to watch Dodger pitchers in action, including reliever Tom Niedenfuer, who pitched a scoreless ninth ininng. Representatives from the Indians have been regulars at almost every Dodger game this spring. Al Campanis, Dodger vice president, said he did not plan to talk to Joe Klein, Cleveland’s general manager, Friday, even after Campanis relayed the names of the Dodger pitchers he would consider trading. Meanwhile, Campanis and other Dodger officials held a meeting Thursday night at Dodgertown to discuss further roster moves. “We’re going to have another meeting before deciding anything,” Campanis said. “The final cut will be in L.A.”

Scouts from several teams will doubtless watch Alejandro Pena pitch against Houston today at Kissimmee, Fla. Mike Scott is expected to pitch for the Astros. . . . Friday, Steve Sax had a single in the first inning and a triple in the seventh. Later in the seventh inning, Sax tried to score on a ground ball but was called out at the plate by umpire Gary Darling. Sax thought he was safe and argued. That’s not really unusual, except that Sax knows the umpire from Sacramento, his hometown. “I hated to yell at the guy because he played baseball with my brother (Dave) at his college (Cosumnes River),” Sax said. “The guy used to be a pretty good player. But he was working up on a power pole and got a jolt (of electricity) and fell. He just about died. But I had to yell at him on that play.”

Craig Shipley had three hits Friday. Shipley is 5 for 12 since being optioned to Albuquerque. . . . Mike Ramsey doubled to left field in the fifth inning for his first extra-base hit of the spring. Ramsey, trying to convince management that he can hit well enough to play in the major leagues, is batting .363. Even so, he was called back for pinch-hitter Jose Gonzalez in the seventh inning with the bases loaded. Gonzalez walked. . . . The Dodgers fielded one of their weakest spring lineups Friday. Missing were left fielder Pedro Guerrero (tendinitis in his right knee and a strained left hip), shortstop Mariano Duncan (shin splints), third baseman Bill Madlock (sore shoulder) and center fielder Ken Landreaux (groin strain). . . . Madlock saw Dr. Frank Jobe Friday and was told to keep taking anti-inflammatory medicine. . . . Catcher Mike Scioscia was given the day off. Gilberto Reyes, Scioscia’s replacement, had two passed balls in the first inning. He was replaced by Alex Trevino in the third inning.