BASEBALL : DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : Lasorda Won’t Go to All-Star Game

Even if Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda is named as a National League coach for next week’s All-Star game--a possibility because his team has the second-best record in the league--he said he is not going.

“My family needs me more this year,” said Lasorda, whose only son, Thomas Jr., died last month. “I want to stay home with Jo (his wife) and Laura (his daughter). I would have a chance to spend two days at home, and I really think that is the place I should be.”

Lasorda managed the All-Star team on six occasions and served as a coach several other times during his 15-year managerial career.

Darryl Strawberry, who is scheduled to return to the lineup today after missing 15 days with a sore shoulder, has been taken off the disabled list and infielder Dave Hansen sent to Albuquerque.

In a 20-minute batting practice on a regulation field at the Mark Cresse School of Baseball in Huntington Beach on Monday, Strawberry hit 31 balls out of the park.

“I know it was 31, because all of the kids counted out loud,” said Mark Cresse, the Dodgers’ bullpen coach. “I haven’t seen anything like it since he came to Vero Beach and was hitting balls in the trees.”

According to Cresse, Strawberry bounced balls off the roof of a nearby factory, causing workers to search the roof for vandals.

“I was crushing the ball,” he said. “I am really ready.”

Mike Scioscia played catch Monday, but his right hand was still too weak for him to grip a bat. He still hopes to return to the lineup before Thursday’s series finale against the Padres, but the Dodgers will be happy if he returns by this weekend. “Every game lost is a bad one,” said Scioscia, who has missed a week. “I’m going to be back in the lineup as soon as I can do just the basic hitting and throwing. I’ve resigned myself to some pain, but that’s OK. As long as I can do what I have to do.”

Kal Daniels was a late scratch from the starting lineup because of a sore left knee. Brett Butler extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a second-inning single. It is the longest current hitting streak in the league. Gary Carter increased his hitting streak to 10 games with a double in the first inning. Carter also moved into third place on the all-time list of games caught with 1,928.