Fonville to Minors; Liriano Is Activated

Chad Fonville showed up 30 minutes late to the ballpark Saturday morning on a cold and dreary morning, and cringed when he was summoned into Manager Bill Russell’s office.

He braced himself for a fine, and perhaps disciplinary action.

The news was worse.

Fonville was optioned to triple-A Albuquerque and will be replaced on the roster by Nelson Liriano, who was activated from the disabled list.

“I ain’t got . . . to say,” a dejected Fonville said.

The Dodgers say Fonville’s tardiness had nothing to do with the move. Fonville was not even fined.

The truth is that the Dodgers were planning to make the move since Wednesday night when Fonville was given his first start of the season against the New York Mets. Fonville struck out twice and grounded out twice, keeping his batting average at .000.

“Liriano is ready to come up and Chad needs to play every day,” Russell said. “He’s a young player and it’s better for him to play every day instead of the role we’ll use him in.

“Let’s face it, he came up at a young age and he really hasn’t gained the experience of playing every day. We thought he needed to get back where he was two years ago. He’s disappointed, but we know it’ll be best for him.”

Fonville, 26, was the catalyst of their lineup two years ago after being acquired by the Dodgers as a Rule 5 player from the Montreal Expos. He batted .276 and stole 20 bases in 88 games. Yet he batted only .204 last season and spent a month in Albuquerque.

He was beaten out for the starting second base job this spring by Wilton Guerrero, but still made the team when Liriano was put on the disabled list because of tendinitis in his right shoulder.

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Catcher Mike Piazza is expected to be sidelined at least until Tuesday because of a severe bruise and swelling above his left elbow.

Piazza, who was hit by a pitch thrown by Pittsburgh Pirate starter Francisco Cordova on Friday, underwent an MRI test Saturday morning that was negative.

“That pitch hit me flush on bone, I knew it would stiffen up overnight,” Piazza said. “The cold [weather] just made it worse. It just cripples you as a hitter.”

Piazza still has a feeling that Cordova purposely hit him. It was the only pitch that got away during his seven-inning stint. It also might have been in retaliation to a first-inning collision when Piazza blocked Pirate outfielder Al Martin at the plate, tagging him out.

“I don’t know what they were thinking,” Piazza said, “but it wasn’t malicious on my part at all. I plugged him [Martin] pretty good, but I thought it was a clean play. Who knows? It’s just part of the game.”

Martin also acknowledged that it was a hard-nosed, clean play, even though it left him with a sprained left ankle that is expected to sideline him for several days.

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Outfielder Wayne Kirby is the Dodgers’ only African American player because of the departure of Fonville.

“I’m the lone warrior now,” Kirby said, laughing. “That’s all right, it’s not the first time. I was the only black player on my high-school football team too. I get along with everybody.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

TODAY’S GAME

DODGERS’ HIDEO NOMO (1-0, 2.08 ERA) vs. PIRATES’ JASON SCHMIDT

(0-1, 1.50)

Three Rivers Stadium, 10:30 a.m.

TV--Channel 5. Radio--KABC (790), KWKW (1330).

* Update--The Dodgers will try this one again after being rained out Saturday. That game will be made up as part of an Aug. 25 doubleheader. There is a 40% chance of rain again today and the temperature is expected to dip into the low 40s. Left fielder Al Martin is the only Pirate hitter with success against Nomo, batting .313, but with eight strikeouts in 16 at-bats. Pirate starter Jason Schmidt hasn’t defeated the Dodgers in four starts but has a 3.15 earned-run average against them. Left fielder Todd Hollandsworth has the most trouble against Schmidt, batting .125 with three strikeouts. The Pirates have only seven players who were with the club on opening day in 1996. They opened the season with a bullpen that had only 11 major league saves among them, including nine by John Ericks, who has saved all four of the Pirates’ victories this season.