BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : Strawberry-Davis Reunion?

For those who want to see Darryl Strawberry and Eric Davis playing on the same field one more time, mark down Sept. 7.

Strawberry has set that as the target date for his return to the lineup, and Davis expects to be playing by then.

That night the Dodgers will be playing on grass in Atlanta, where Strawberry had several big games last season.

“I would like to come back on grass, and Atlanta seems like a good place,” said Strawberry, who is still swinging 10 minutes each day. “I definitely hope to be ready by then.”

Davis, who has felt his injured wrist tighten during batting practice, is not as optimistic about his condition. But he said he hopes to return to the lineup by the end of this home stand.

“I still can’t extend the way I would like, but I’ve got to get back out there and see how it feels,” said Davis, who last played with Strawberry on July 19 in Philadelphia.

The two outfielders have played together in only 29 of 120 games this season. The Dodgers are 11-18 in those games.

With a .324 average before Wednesday, his highest mark since the first week of the season, Brett Butler has a chance to lead the National League in three batting categories. He was ranked fourth in the batting race, 15 points behind leader Gary Sheffield of the San Diego Padres. He was tied with two others for second with 73 runs, two behind Delino DeShields of the Montreal Expos. And he was tied for second with 11 triples, two behind Deion Sanders of the Atlanta Braves. . . . No Dodger has led the league in hitting since Tommy Davis in 1963. No Dodger has led in triples since Willie Davis in 1970. Butler led the league in runs scored last season. . . . Todd Benzinger’s injured left wrist will undergo a CAT scan today. He has not played in a week. . . . Tom Candiotti said his knee is improving enough that he hopes to return by the end of this home stand and pitch enough in the final six weeks to reach 200 innings for a seventh consecutive season. Candiotti needed 52 1/3 innings, meaning seven or eight strong starts. . . . The season keeps getting worse for top outfield prospect Raul Mondesi, who was demoted to double A for disciplinary reasons and put on the disabled list for several weeks with a wrist injury. Mondesi has injured his left knee and will undergo a magnetic resonance imaging exam today. Mondesi has only six home runs and 29 runs batted in.