BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : Parker Has Concussion After Beaning

Outfielder Rick Parker suffered a concussion when he was hit in the head by a fastball thrown by New York Met pitcher Reid Cornelius during an exhibition game Thursday at Port St. Lucie, Fla.

Parker lay motionless for several minutes after the beaning but said later that he never lost consciousness. He walked groggily off the field, assisted by trainer Stan Johnston, and was taken back to Dodgertown in Vero Beach, where he was examined by Dr. Frank Jobe, who diagnosed the injury as a slight concussion.

“Thank God he had a helmet on or he would have been dead,” Manager Tom Lasorda said.

Parker still was wobbly in the clubhouse.

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Pedro Astacio apparently put an end to the fifth starter derby with another impressive performance.

Astacio pitched four scoreless innings in the afternoon B game against the Mets, yielding only three hits, and drawing rave reviews from Dodger officials and scouts with his changeup and sinker. Astacio has pitched eight consecutive scoreless innings.

Lasorda wouldn’t say that Astacio is definitely the fifth starter, but said he has emerged as the leading candidate.

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Pitchers Ramser Correa and Roberto Duran were taken off the 40-man roster, probably to make room for outfielder Milt Thompson and pitcher Scott Radinsky. Correa was sent to triple-A Albuquerque, but Duran was put on waivers and was claimed by the Toronto Blue Jays. . . . Catcher Carlos Hernandez, who has been sidelined because of a sprained right knee, played for the first time. . . . Chan Ho Park gave up one hit in 3 2/3 innings in the A game before leaving with a sprained right little finger.