BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : Strawberry to Play in Albuquerque

Darryl Strawberry will begin his rehabilitation assignment Friday night with the Dodgers’ triple-A club in Albuquerque. He will stay with the club through June 2 before returning to Los Angeles to be evaluated. Strawberry has been on the disabled list since May 15 with back stiffness.

Meanwhile, Todd Worrell pitched another inning in a Class-A game Tuesday night, striking out two batters and giving up no hits or runs. He will return to Dodger Stadium today to be evaluated, but officials say he is very close to being activated.

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Pedro Martinez has made the transformation from starting pitcher to reliever look easy. Since April 20, he has given up one earned run in 13 appearances and in 22 innings. Overall, he is 1-2 with an 2.00 earned-run average in 27 innings.

His formula?

“I just go out there and throw strikes, throw the ball over the plate just like my coaches always used to tell me,” said Martinez, who has 21 strikeouts. Pedro sits out in the bullpen talking and laughing and then when it is time for him to pitch, he goes out there like a lion,” bullpen coach Mark Cresse said. “He is one of the smartest young kids I have ever met, as far as knowing what he has do in a game.”

Martinez says he would prefer to be a starter.

“But this is the chance I have and the chance I have to take,” Martinez said. “I just don’t want to go down again (to Albuquerque).”