They’re Not Putting a Lot of Stock in Castro’s Options

Juan Castro knows that baseball is a numbers game. The sweet-fielding, light-hitting shortstop also knows that he’s probably the odd man out when the Dodger roster is finalized.

Having used all his options in sending him back to the minor leagues so often, the Dodgers will either trade Castro or put him on waivers, which he probably wouldn’t clear, before the season.

“It’s a little difficult staying focused not knowing what’s going on,” Castro said. “But I have to stay prepared even if it isn’t the best situation for me. I have to be ready for anything.”

Spring training figured to feature a four-way battle for time at shortstop between Castro, Alex Cora, Jose Vizcaino and Kevin Elster after last year’s starter, Mark Grudzielanek, moved to second base.

Elster, retired a year ago, is entrenched at short and, with Cora being shipped last week to triple-A Albuquerque, any time Elster figures to split will be with utility man Vizcaino.

“He’s a good player, but he’s out of options,” General Manager Kevin Malone said of Castro. “We’ll just have to see what happens.”

Castro, 27, struck out in his lone at-bat Wednesday in the Dodgers’ 7-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex. He is batting .240 and had a .333 on-base percentage entering the game and has not committed an error all spring.

Elster, meanwhile, is hitting .191 after going 0 for 4 Wednesday. Elster, 35, has a home run, six runs batted in, a .342 slugging percentage and .333 on-base-percentage and three errors before the game.

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Before winning their sixth consecutive Grapefruit League game, the Dodgers reduced their major league roster to 29 by optioning three players to Albuquerque--right-handed pitchers Eric Gagne and Mike Judd and catcher Paul LoDuca.

LoDuca was leading the Dodgers in hitting at .375, but Tuesday’s signing of non-roster invitee Chad Kreuter to be the backup catcher made LoDuca expendable.

“The toughest one was LoDuca,” Manager Davey Johnson said. “He had a good spring and he doesn’t really want to be down there backing up [prized prospect Angel] Pena, and I understand that. I think that was the toughest thing for him to swallow.”

There are still two non-roster players on board, outfielder Geronimo Berroa and infielder Jeff Branson. Berroa, 35, has had a fine spring as well, batting .314 with five doubles and five RBIs. He went 0 for 2 against the Braves. Because Berroa has a minor league contract, he could be sent to triple-A Albuquerque without clearing waivers.

Johnson said he is still trying to decide between carrying an extra pitcher, Matt Herges, or an extra outfielder for the season-opening series at Montreal.

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In a scene frighteningly reminiscent of Eric Karros’ ankle injury Tuesday, Dodger ace Kevin Brown took a comebacker off the inside of his left ankle Wednesday. Brown was hobbled a bit after Chipper Jones’ liner ricocheted off him toward the first base dugout in the first inning. But Brown stayed in the game, going 4 2/3 innings. He gave up a run and four hits while striking out seven and walking one. Brown had the ankle elevated and wrapped in ice as a precautionary measure after the game.

Karros, who fouled a ball off his ankle, stayed at Dodgertown on Wednesday and worked on hitting the ball off a tee.

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Gary Sheffield, who took a called third strike in the first inning, took out his frustrations in his next two at-bats, blasting a two-run homer off Brave starter Greg Maddux in the third and a three-run bomb off Luis Rivera in the fourth.

Todd Hollandsworth, batting for Devon White, had a two-run homer in the eighth off Kerry Ligtenberg.