BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : Shoulder Still Is Tight, Davis Says

Eric Davis, fighting through one of the worst slumps of any Dodger hitter this season, acknowledged Friday that he is still trying to adjust to his earlier shoulder injury.

“Some days, the shoulder is tight, some days it’s not,” he said.

When asked if he was having difficulty extending his arms on an inside pitch, he said, “Yeah, that’s a problem. That’s why I’m hitting so many balls back up the middle. I can’t extend like I would like.”

Since returning from his 28-day stay on the disabled list because of a separated shoulder, he has nine hits in 55 at-bats (.164).

Of those nine hits, one was for extra bases: a double on June 26. He has had only five runs batted in since his return on June 19.

“‘I’m fouling off pitches I usually hit, I’m just missing,” Davis said. “One day I feel good up there, the next time, it’s like I have no idea.

“But (opponents) better hope I keep fouling them off, because it’s not going to last forever. I’ll get it back.”

Rudy Seanez said there is “no doubt” that he will pitch again this year after throwing hard for 15 minutes off of a flat surface. Seanez, who the Dodgers hoped would strengthen their bullpen with his 95 m.p.h. fastball before being sidelined because of back problems during spring training, said he thinks he could be back by September.

“I know I will be pitching by the end of the season, that’s for sure,” he said. “I can’t give an exact date, but the way I feel, I know I’ll be there.”

Brett Butler met with Maury Wills before Friday’s doubleheader to discuss Wills’ philosophy on taking days off. “I’ve been feeling kind of tired and beat up lately, and I was thinking about asking for a day off, but I wanted to know what Maury used to do,” Butler said. “He told, ‘Take one when you need one.’ So I will.” . . . Pedro Martinez prepped for his Dodger start, during next week’s doubleheaders, by giving up six runs in three innings at Edmonton on Thursday. . . . Mike Piazza has not slowed since being recalled to triple-A Albuquerque. In 44 games, he is batting .355 with nine home runs and 34 runs batted in.

Ryan Luzinski, the Dodgers’ first pick in the recent draft, is batting .170 after 11 games at rookie-league Great Falls, but four of his eight hits have been for extra bases. . . . Minor leaguers Pedro Astacio and Martinez will receive $664.50 per day while they are in the major leagues for the doubleheaders, which includes meal money. This is more than six times their triple-A salary. . . . Tot Holmes, Dodger historian, reminds that the 1933 Dodgers played 37 doubleheaders, although only four were scheduled. In those days, says Holmes, teams would schedule doubleheaders “if a (rain) drop fell within miles of the stadium.”