BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : Offerman Not in Plans Despite Success

Jose Offerman is reportedly playing well at triple-A Albuquerque, but the Dodgers say they have no immediate plans to bring him back as the starting shortstop.

Fred Claire, executive vice president, said Offerman’s return depends on the needs of the team.

“As long as Rafael (Bournigal) continues to play well and, along with that, the team continues to do well, I don’t see any reason to make a change there,” Claire said. “If we are playing well and are in first place, that is not a combination that I want to break up.”

Bournigal, recalled from Albuquerque on June 27, has been playing exceptional defense, taking away hits as well as making routine plays. He is batting .258 since his recall, with one strikeout in 31 at-bats. In Albuquerque this season, Bournigal struck out nine times in 208 at bats.

“Here’s a kid that three or four years ago they were going to make a coach, but they had some injuries and moved him up and he played well,” said Coach Bill Russell, who made Bournigal his starting shortstop at Albuquerque the past two seasons. “He makes great plays--if he gets to the ball, you’re out. His weakness is that he doesn’t have a strong arm, but Ozzie Smith didn’t either. And he won’t strike out.”

During the 1991 season, Bournigal said there were two shortstops at Albuquerque, Offerman and Luis Martinez, and no place for him. So the club sent him to Class-A Vero Beach to be a player-coach.

“Kevin Kennedy, (then a minor league manager) told the club, ‘Hey, this guy can play,’ so I went to double-A and played everyday,” Bournigal said. “In two or three weeks Offerman was called up and I went to triple-A again. Then the following year Billy (Russell) said that I would be his starting shortstop. He told me not to worry, because I was going to play.”

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Jim Gott, making his first rehabilitation start for Class-A Bakersfield, gave up no runs and two hits in two innings. Twenty of his 27 pitches were strikes.

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Utility outfielder John Cangelosi, put on waivers Tuesday by the New York Mets, was released Friday after he cleared and then turned down a minor league assignment. In 62 games, Cangelosi batted .252 with four doubles, no home runs, four runs batted in and 14 runs scored in 111 at bats. . . . Met center fielder Ryan Thompson was sidelined with a strained left thigh.