BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : He Takes a Pregnant Pause

Relief pitcher John Cummings stood on the mound Tuesday, literally shaking.

He had gone three nights with hardly any sleep, had just flown coast to coast and there he was, trying to nail down a job.

“I’m just glad I got through it,” said Cummings, vying for the final spot in the bullpen.

Cummings, who pitched a hitless inning in the Dodgers’ 9-8 exhibition victory over the Baltimore Orioles, got a call from his wife, Staci Saturday night. She was headed to the hospital in Laguna Hills to deliver their first baby.

Cummings couldn’t get a flight out of Florida until the next morning so he woke up at 3 on Sunday, drove two hours to Orlando, and caught a flight. He called her from the airport, then again from the airplane about halfway there.

“I said, ‘How you feeling?’ She said, ‘I just had the baby 45 minutes ago.’ I was probably over New Mexico.”

Cummings spent Sunday with his new daughter, Kenley Grace, then was up at 5 on Monday morning and on his way back to Vero Beach. He arrived at 10 p.m., just in time to get the news that he was pitching Tuesday. He was up again at 6 for the two-hour bus ride to Fort Lauderdale.

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The Dodgers have decided that outfielder Roger Cedeno will be on the opening-day roster.

They probably won’t announce that until Sunday, when they know more about the status of first baseman Eric Karros. If Karros is not ready because of the tendinitis in his left shoulder, Mike Busch or Rick Parker will stay with the team until Karros returns.

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Outfielder Reggie Williams almost became a household name when he slid hard into Oriole shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. while trying to break up a double play. Ripken was not hurt but Oriole fans did not approve of the play.

“Hey, I didn’t care if it was Cal Ripken or [minor leaguer] Wilton Guerrero out there. I was just looking at the uniform.”