Cedeno Hamstrung on Way to Starting

The outfield derby took an interesting turn Sunday at Dodgertown.

Roger Cedeno, the front-runner in center, suffered a strained right hamstring during the eighth inning of the Dodgers’ 5-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves at Holman Stadium, creating an opportunity for Wilton Guerrero to start today against the St. Louis Cardinals at Jupiter.

Guerrero, who on Saturday agreed to a one-year, $265,000 contract, is making a smooth transition from the infield to the outfield. He has impressed Manager Bill Russell and the coaching staff with his defensive instincts, and he has started quickly at the plate, batting .500 (three for five) with a triple in the first three exhibition games.

It’s uncertain when Cedeno will be cleared to play. The Dodgers have downplayed the competition because they’re trying to boost Cedeno’s confidence, but his setback could be Guerrero’s big break.

“Wilton has showed us something,” Russell said. “Roger and Wilton are having fun with it, which is the way it should be. This is all about competition.”

*

Cedeno suffered the injury on an infield hit.

With two out, he collapsed along the first-base line after beating a throw from Brave third baseman Wes Helms. He lay motionless on the ground and was taken off on a cart.

“It was like I was punctured by a knife,” said Cedeno, batting .273 (three for 11). “I was scared because I couldn’t move my leg.

“I had been feeling something there for a while, but it would come and go away. The last time I felt something was a couple of days ago.”

Cedeno appeared to be in severe pain as he walked in the clubhouse. He had ice bags strapped to his thigh, but appeared to be moving more freely as he left Dodgertown in the evening.

*

Ramon Martinez started and pitched three scoreless innings, giving up one hit with a walk and two strikeouts. His pitches were timed between 92-94 mph on scout Mike Brito’s radar gun.

It was the second consecutive strong performance for Martinez, who suffered a small tear in the rotator cuff on his pitching shoulder last season. Martinez pitched two scoreless innings in an intrasquad game last week.

*

Raul Mondesi got his first hit of the spring in the seventh inning, a solo home run to left-center. Eric Karros hit a two-run homer to left-center in the fourth, his first homer in the exhibition season. Todd Zeile and Mike Piazza, the other Dodgers with at least 30 homers last season, had hit homers before Sunday’s game. . . . Left fielder Todd Hollandsworth robbed Andruw Jones of a two-run homer in the third inning with a running, backhanded catch against the outfield fence. . . . Russell said he will play his regulars longer than usual during the spring in an attempt to have them better prepared by opening day.