Vizcaino’s Frustrations Continue

Shortstop Jose Vizcaino will miss three to five games after spraining a ligament in his right knee Sunday.

The news should come as no surprise to Vizcaino, who has been getting bad vibes about this season since the start.

It began in spring training when Vizcaino, a nine-year veteran who should know better, forgot his road uniform for a trip out of Dodger headquarters at Vero Beach.

Vizcaino left his uniform behind not once, but twice . The bad signs continued. Literally.

In a spring game, Vizcaino missed a sign to go from second base on a 3-2 pitch with less than two out. When the batter singled, Vizcaino failed to score.

“I had never before missed a sign,” he said. “That was the first time.”

His troubles only increased with the start of the season. A career .273 hitter, Vizcaino is hitting only .222 for the Dodgers with a home run and 13 RBIs.

He strained his left hamstring in April, knocking him out of the starting lineup for a bit more than a week.

Now this, an injury that occurred in Miami when Vizcaino banged into the Marlins’ Gary Sheffield as Vizcaino attempted to keep catcher Mike Piazza’s second-base pickoff throw going into the outfield.

“When I felt the pressure [from Sheffield], I fell down,” Vizcaino said. “It would have been worse if I had tried to stand up.”

Has Vizcaino felt the pressure of a season already filled with frustrations weighing on him?

“Big time,” he replied.

*

Dodger executive vice president Fred Claire confirmed that he has had talks with the Marlins about Jim Eisenreich, who would presumably be used primarily in left field by the Dodgers.

“It’s obvious they want to move him,” Claire said. “Have we talked? Yes, but there are serious ramifications.”

Those would be Eisenreich’s $1.4-million salary and whether the Dodgers have given up on left fielder Todd Hollandsworth.

“In any given season, you can make only so many moves,” Claire said. “The question becomes, is this the right time and the right player?”

*

An MRI and bone scan on the sore lower back of pitcher Chan Ho Park failed to show any damage to the affected area.

TONIGHT

DODGERS’ RAMON MARTINEZ (4-2, 3.21 ERA)

vs.

PHILLIES’ CURT SCHILLING (4-3, 1.74 ERA)

Dodger Stadium, 7 p.m.

TV--Fox Sports West 2. Radio--AM 1150, KWKW (1330).

Update--The Dodgers are 21-9 in Martinez’s last 30 starts, but he has struggled against the Phillies in his career, going 6-9 with 4.08 ERA. Schilling, who leads the majors with 90 strikeouts, struck out 12 Dodgers last August in his last start against them.