Reserve Outfielder Hubbard Creating Quite a Hubbub

Trenidad Hubbard usually impresses the right people, but not often enough to fulfill his dreams.

Despite his success, the Dodger reserve outfielder said he can’t escape the minor leagues long enough to establish himself. He’s determined to have a breakthrough season, and the Dodgers might give him a chance.

He strengthened his bid to make the 25-man roster Saturday, sparking a ninth-inning rally here with a solo home run in the Dodgers’ 6-4 victory over the Florida Marlins.

“It feels good to get the chance to do this,” he said. “You just hope you can get enough opportunities, enough at-bats, to show people what you can do. But then you have to get the job done.”

Hubbard did Saturday, and he has throughout spring training.

The Marlins scored a run in the bottom of the eighth to take a 4-3 lead. Facing Jay Powell with none out in the ninth, Hubbard homered to right field on a 2-2 count. The Dodgers added two more runs and went on to their fourth victory in five games.

Hubbard, who played left and right fields Saturday, is batting .313 (five for 16) with one homer and three runs batted in.

“I’ve been doing whatever I can to help this team, and I think the Dodgers notice that,” he said. “You just never know if that’s enough.”

The Dodgers signed Hubbard, 31, as a free agent in the off-season. He has played parts of the last three seasons with the Colorado Rockies, San Francisco Giants and Cleveland Indians.

But Hubbard has always been the odd man out.

“That’s the story of my career,” said Hubbard, who has hit at least .310 in eight of his 12 minor league seasons.

Others are again ahead of him in a bench battle, but Hubbard is making decisions more difficult for the Dodgers.

*

Right-hander Chan Ho Park pitched five innings, giving up one run on three hits. He struck out three and walked one.

“I feel mentally ready for the season,” Park said. “I’m thinking about not wasting any pitches, about throwing more strikes so I can hopefully pitch more innings and win more games.”

*

Sug Chung has returned to the Dodgers, but at considerably less money.

The South Korean right-hander, who spoke with other teams after the Dodgers recently nullified his contract, will receive a $100,000 signing bonus plus incentives that are still being negotiated. He has been assigned to Single-A San Bernardino. Chung was to receive a $1-million signing bonus, contingent on passing a physical, but a tear was detected in the rotator cuff on his throwing shoulder. However, he might not require surgery.