Mondesi Won’t Sit on Matter

Fingers are being pointed in the Dodger clubhouse, but Raul Mondesi says to keep them pointed away from him.

Mondesi upset team officials Friday night by sitting in the bullpen while the Dodgers batted in the fifth inning of a nine-run loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. That the situation was even addressed annoyed the right fielder.

“I don’t care,” he said before Saturday’s game. “Let them [team officials] be [angry]. I’m not the only problem on this team. We’ve got a lot of other problems here.”

The problems grew during a 3-0 defeat to the Diamondbacks before 47,824 at Bank One Ballpark, the Dodgers’ fifth straight loss.

General Manager Kevin Malone expressed his disappointment about Mondesi’s break in the bullpen, saying the Dodgers would “take care of it and make sure it wouldn’t happen again.”

Malone and Manager Davey Johnson attempted to downplay the incident, and disciplinary action is not expected. That did not deter Mondesi from expressing some feelings of his own.

“What’s the big deal?” said Mondesi, who went 112 at-bats without a home run during one stretch this season. “I just went out there to talk to [relievers Alan Mills and Pedro Borbon]. I did it [once] before when we were in San Diego and nobody said anything about it, but now everyone is saying something about it. Why? Because we’re losing?

“That’s not my fault. What, that’s why we’re losing? I just wish everybody would shut the . . . up. I got better things to worry about.”

Mondesi went 0 of 4 Saturday, striking out with two men on and one out in the ninth inning. The Dodgers (43-54) remained in last place in the National League West, while Arizona (54-45) moved into first, half a game ahead of the San Francisco Giants.

Even before the game, Malone recognized the Dodgers’ problems.

“There seem to be some players who don’t care as much as others,” Malone said. “There seem to be some players with other priorities. We have to get everyone on the same page, with the same priorities and same agendas to win. We have to keep trying.”

Johnson tried something new Saturday, benching everyday second baseman Eric Young indefinitely. Utility infielder Jose Vizcaino and second baseman Craig Counsell will platoon at the position.

Ostensibly, Johnson made the move because Young has been battling leg injuries throughout the season. However, the change has more to do with the organization’s dissatisfaction with Young, who Johnson suggested might be more productive if he is not an everyday player.

Johnson took pitcher Carlos Perez (2-10) out of the rotation, sending the left-hander with the 7.43 earned-run average to the bullpen.

Perez received several reprieves because he signed a three-year, $15.6-million contract in the off-season. There don’t appear to be better candidates for the job on the 25-man roster or in the farm system, but Johnson reluctantly accepts that the other guys probably won’t be worse.

And then there is Mondesi, whose average slipped to .241.

Mondesi is among the most intense and temperamental players on the club, and Johnson knows he must handle Mondesi carefully. But Johnson accepts Mondesi’s shortcomings because Mondesi is exceptionally talented.

Johnson has less patience with others.

“We couldn’t keep going the way it was going,” Johnson said. “I’ve been around championship clubs, and if we’re going to be a championship club, we need to make something happen.”

That’s what Johnson tried to do that with Saturday’s major moves.

He reached his wits’ end with Young on Friday because of his inability to turn a seemingly textbook double play in the Diamondbacks’ five-run fourth inning. Young has been considered subpar defensively during his seven-year career, and that’s not news to Johnson and Malone.

But Young also has not played well offensively. The Dodgers are simply fed up with Young, whom Malone has been trying to trade for months.

The speedy leadoff batter has two years and $9 million remaining on his contract. Industry sources said Malone has not been able to persuade teams to assume the remainder of the package, even if the Dodgers agree to pay part of his salary.

The Dodgers could have acquired outfielder Garret Anderson from the Angels for first baseman Eric Karros earlier this season, sources said, but the proposed deal collapsed, in part, because Malone tried to foist Young on the Angels to get Karros. Young wants the Dodgers to put him on the disabled list so he can rehabilitate his injuries.

That would further handcuff the Dodgers because players on the disabled list cannot be traded. The non-waiver trading deadline is next Saturday.

Not surprisingly, team officials have told Young they want to reevaluate his status early next week.

“I’ve gone out there and played hurt all year, but I guess that doesn’t matter,” Young said. “I want to play because I want to help the team. I play when other guys around here would take days off, but I guess that doesn’t matter either.

“It has been one thing after another with my legs, and it’s time for me to get them right. I’m banged up, my legs are hurt, and the only way I’m going to get myself back to feeling right is taking time off. I don’t know if they are going to [put him on the disabled list], but I’m hurt and I need to rehab.”