BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : Team Psychiatrist Makes House Calls

The Dodgers cannot accuse team psychiatrist Herndon Harding of not being accessible.

During batting practice on this trip, Harding has roamed the outfield wearing a uniform and carrying a glove for the first time since joining the Dodgers last season.

“It’s a sign of the times,” pitcher Jim Gott said.

Harding, whose consultations are kept confidential even from Dodger management, has been working batting practice for the Dodgers’ minor league teams since last year.

“Fred (Claire) called last week and said he thought it was time to do it on the major league level,” Harding said. “Its a matter of making the players more comfortable, of working with them in a more relaxed atmosphere. I can casually talk to players out there better than in a lot of places.”

Juan Samuel will rejoin the team today in Pittsburgh, but there is no guarantee that the broken fingers which have kept him out of action since April 27 have healed. An examination Friday showed that there was still swelling in his middle finger, meaning that inactivity has not helped, so he was given clearance to begin working out. “It is uncertain how much rest is going to do, so we will let him start working out and see what happens,” Claire said. “If the swelling continues and he can’t take it, we will go back to square one.” . . . Orel Hershiser’s jammed right foot felt better Sunday, and he said he will be able to make his next start Thursday in Los Angeles against the Cincinnati Reds. . . . Raul Mondesi, the Dodgers’ top outfield prospect, is experiencing bad times. He was recently demoted to double-A San Antonio from triple-A Albuquerque for disciplinary reasons, and now he is out with an injured hand that could require a trip to Los Angeles for an examination.