New Year, Same Situation

Outfielder Billy Ashley arrived at Dodger camp in Vero Beach, Fla., bigger and stronger, but not entirely in control of his own fate.

He could bat .400 this spring, hit 10 homers, run the outfield with reckless abandon.

But unless Brett Butler retires before the start of the season, Ashley has no chance of cracking the starting lineup. If Butler is able to play, he will be the center fielder. Todd Hollandsworth, the 1996 rookie of the year, will be in left. Raul Mondesi will be in right.

“Every year I’ve come here with my goal to be the starting left fielder, but who knows what’s going to happen now?” Ashley said. “Everything kind of hinges on Brett.”

If Butler stays and Ashley, 26, is relegated to the bench, he says he would prefer being traded to a team where he can be a starter.

“I was drafted by L.A., so I’d like to be that everyday player here,” said Ashley, who worked out over the winter and added 15 pounds to his 6-foot-7 frame, bringing his weight to 243. “But if I have to play in another city, it’s not going to be the end of the world. I just want to play.”

Fred Claire, Dodger executive vice president, said he thinks Ashley not only can be an everyday player, but perhaps a star.

“We know what Billy wants to do, that’s no secret,” Claire said, “and there’s no reason he can’t do it here. We’re going to give him as many at-bats as possible this spring.”

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The Dodgers have had strenuous workouts the last week, but they continue to restrict Butler’s activity. “They’re taking it easy on me; they just don’t want me to overdo it,” said Butler, who’s coming back from cancer and a broken hand. “I do about half of what the other guys are doing. But when practice ends, I go out and do a few sprints of my own. I’ll be all right.”

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Left-handed reliever Mark Guthrie, who signed a two-year, $3.2-million contract in the off-season, will make two or three starts in spring training and be given a shot to make the starting rotation. He has started only two games since 1991.

“I’d like to be a candidate,” Guthrie said, “but once the season starts, that’s it. I don’t want to be a guy who goes in and out of the rotation. If I’m not in the rotation out of spring training, I’d like to just stay in the bullpen.

“I’d like to see what I can do, but I realize that if Chan Ho [Park] is ready, it’s probably and open-and-shut case.”

The Dodgers have not had a left-hander start a game since Bob Ojeda on Sept. 24, 1992--spanning 591 games.

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Pitcher Hideo Nomo on the surge of Japanese pitchers in the big leagues: “Even if I didn’t succeed, I showed it was possible to play in America.”