BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : DeShields Returns, Is Hit in Face by Ball

In his first start since suffering a concussion seven games earlier, Delino DeShields was hit in the face by a ball that bounced off of the plate after he swung during Sunday’s game.

The ball hit the left side of his face, in the same place where he suffered a broken cheekbone during spring training. He left the game in the middle of the ninth-inning at-bat, suffered some inflammation but is expected to be in the lineup tonight when he makes his return to Montreal.

“When I saw that happen, I thought, ‘What else can happen to this guy?’ said Cory Snyder, who took over the at-bat with a 1-and-1 count in the ninth inning.

“With all I went through in spring training, it doesn’t even come close to what he has gone through. I feel bad for the guy.”

Manager Tom Lasorda said DeShields wanted to stay in the game after he was hit. “Poor guy, he has had enough problems,” Lasorda said. “To get hit three times in his face. Getting hit like that today, he had tears in his eyes. It’s really a shame.”

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After two consecutive walks by Met starter Pete Smith in the sixth inning Sunday, the Dodgers would have loaded the bases on a line drive to left by Eric Karros. But Mike Piazza, holding up off second base to see if the ball would be caught, waited too long. Tom Cangelosi fielded the ball on a short bounce and threw out Piazza at third.

“I’ll be the first to say it was poor baserunning,” Piazza said. “But the ball was directly in line with (Cangelosi). I looked up and froze, and couldn’t get a read on it. It looked like it was going to get caught, so my momentum was going back toward second. And I don’t want to make excuses, but if it is caught and I am doubled off, then we have two out and possibly lose a chance to score.

“But then it dropped, and, well, I guess my legs are more tired than I thought.”

Run-scoring singles by Henry Rodriguez and pinch-hitter Chris Gwynn followed to make the score 4-4. “Instead of runners on first and second with two out, we would have had the bases loaded and one out and things would have been different,” said Karros, who had doubled and scored in the second inning on a sacrifice by Raul Mondesi, who also homered.

Gwynn batted for Mondesi, who has a bruised left heel. His status is listed as day to day.