Club Will Ask Mets for Permission to Talk to Duquette

The Dodgers will request permission to interview Jim Duquette, senior assistant general manager of the New York Mets, for their general manager’s position, two National League executives said Saturday.

Duquette, the top lieutenant of Met General Manager Steve Phillips, has strong ties to Dave Wallace, who will run baseball operations until the club hires a permanent replacement for former GM Kevin Malone.

Wallace, who will have a major role in the selection process, worked closely with Duquette after joining Phillips’ front-office staff as a senior advisor in 1997.

John Hart, general manager of the Cleveland Indians, is the Dodgers’ top candidate, baseball sources said.

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Left-handed reliever Jesse Orosco, released March 30, is now willing to pitch in the minor leagues. Orosco, 44, was expected to make the opening-day roster, but the Dodgers wanted the 21-year veteran to begin the season at triple-A Las Vegas after he was 0-3 with a 6.35 earned-run average in spring training. Wallace and his staff will decide this week whether to re-sign baseball’s all-time appearance leader to a minor league contract, said Derrick Hall, senior vice president.

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It wouldn’t hurt so bad, Tony Gwynn said, if he had not been thrown out. The San Diego Padres put Gwynn, 40, on the disabled list Saturday after he suffered a pulled right hamstring Friday night trying to stretch a single into a double. He was thrown out by left fielder Gary Sheffield.

“Sheff had no business even throwing that ball,” Gwynn said. “Now here I am the next day, bored to death and getting the pom-pons out.”

To replace Gwynn, the Padres recalled outfielder Mike Colangelo from triple-A Portland.

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Dodger right-hander Kevin Brown reported lingering stiffness in his back but nothing more serious a day after leaving in the seventh when his back tightened up. He is not expected to miss a start. . . . First baseman Eric Karros sat out for the second consecutive game because of flu.

TODAY

DODGERS’ DARREN DREIFORT

(1-1, 4.76 ERA)

vs.

PADRES’ BOBBY JONES

(0-2, 3.79 ERA)

Dodger Stadium, 1

TV--Channel 5. Radio--KXTA (1150), KWKW (1330).

* Update--Dreifort has never figured out the Padres, going 0-6 against them with a 5.15 ERA.

* Tickets--(323) 224-1448.