BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : Chris Gwynn Signs to Provide Punch

Outfielder Chris Gywnn, released recently by the Kansas City Royals, worked out for the Dodgers on Saturday and later was signed.

Gywnn, 29, younger brother of the San Diego Padres’ Tony Gwynn, was the club’s first-round pick in the 1985 draft. He played for the Dodgers from 1987 through 1991.

Fred Claire, the Dodgers’ executive vice president, said Gwynn would provide more left-handed punch.

To make room for Gwynn on the roster, the Dodgers optioned reserve shortstop Rafael Bournigal to triple-A Albuquerque.

Claire said he made the move in part so that young players such as Bournigal could get more playing time in the minors.

“I don’t want those guys sitting on the bench at Dodger Stadium,” Claire said. “It doesn’t do them any good.”

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The day after throwing his no-hitter, pitcher Kent Mercker sat in the Braves’ dugout and listened to a replay of the final out.

The left-hander tried to put his memorable moment in perspective.

“I liked the complete game and the shutout part of it, honestly,” Mercker said. “My 1-0 record, the team’s 5-0 record. The no-hitter is a bonus. It hasn’t really sunk in. Maybe it never will.”

Given that it was his first start of the season, Mercker wasn’t sure he would be allowed to finish what he started. Primarily a relief pitcher in his career, the 26-year-old had twice before been removed from games in which he had allowed no hits.

Mercker said he could have been expected to throw no more than 90 pitches in his first outing. In completing the no-hitter, he tossed 131.

“You really have to work up to 131 pitches,” Mercker said. “I thank (Manager) Bobby (Cox) for that. He kept asking me after each inning how I felt and I said ‘Honestly, I feel good.”

Mercker said he would not have blamed Cox for removing him.

“It might sound crazy,” Mercker said. “But I could have lived with that. Throwing no-hitters is not part of my duty. My duty is to keep us in the ballgame.”

Mercker doesn’t have to worry about rushing back to the mound. Because of days off on the schedule, he figures to have at least seven days off before his next start.

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Today’s game between the Dodgers and Braves will be broadcast on Korean Radio station KBLA (1580). It will be the first of seven scheduled Korean broadcasts this season. . . . Honored before the game were college basketball stars Jason Kidd of California and Donyell Marshall of Connecticut. Both were finalists for the John R. Wooden Award, awarded Friday to Purdue’s Glenn Robinson.