Park Relieved to Be on Roster

Sometime soon, Chan Ho Park will be in the Dodger pitching rotation.

Park, the biggest surprise to make the opening-day roster, will be used in middle or long relief for the time being, but as soon as Pedro Astacio, the fifth starter, struggles, the Dodgers are expected to reverse their roles.

“In my opinion, he has as good stuff as anybody in the entire organization,” Manager Tom Lasorda said of Park.

“I feel so much better than two years ago,” said Park, who began that season on the 25-man roster, but was sent to the minors within a month. “I was just learning back then. There were new cities. New stadiums. New everything. Now, I can just concentrate on baseball.”

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Lasorda said it’s still hard for him to believe that he is beginning his 20th year as Dodger manager.

“I remember when Pee Wee Reese was at the stadium honoring the ’55 Dodgers. I said, ‘Pee Wee, if someone had walked into our clubhouse and asked if you thought somebody in here would be managing the ballclub to the World Series in 1981, in order, where would you have had me, 25th?’

“Pee Wee said, ‘No, 24th.’

“Who would be 25th?

“He said, ‘[Sandy] Amoros, because he couldn’t speak English.’ ”

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Catcher Tom Prince was sent to triple-A Albuquerque when Carlos Hernandez was cleared to play after suffering a strained groin in Sunday’s exhibition against the Angels. . . . Second baseman Delino DeShields left the game in the sixth inning after suffering an ankle sprain beating out an infield single but said he will return today. . . . Left-handed reliever Scott Radinsky, who is on the disabled list because of tendinitis in his left middle finger, will throw batting practice today. If there are no setbacks, he will pitch in Albuquerque on a rehabilitative assignment.