Lo Duca, Not Karros, Starts at First

What had been mused upon and suggested for weeks on radio talk shows and in Internet chat rooms became reality Sunday. With Chan Ho Park pitching to his personal catcher, Chad Kreuter, Dodger Manager Jim Tracy started Paul Lo Duca at first base in place of struggling Eric Karros.

“The bottom line is that it’s not a slap in the face to Eric Karros,” Tracy said. “It has a lot to do with Paul Lo Duca and his importance to this club right now. And I really think that if you went out there and took a poll, that you’re going to find that Eric Karros totally understands.”

But Karros, who is batting .091 with two hits in his last 21 at-bats with six strikeouts, made himself unavailable for such a poll or even to comment on his benching Sunday.

Lo Duca entered the game batting a team-best .336 with 19 home runs and 63 runs batted in but went 0 for 4.

“Eric and I have sat down and talked about this,” Tracy said before the Dodgers’ 6-5 loss to the New York Mets.

“We have to go with the people that we feel like we absolutely need in there to afford ourselves the best opportunity night to night.”

Karros, 33, has been hampered by a bad back since spring training and spent late May and early June on the disabled list with a lower back sprain.

His statistics have suffered. He is batting .237 with 13 home runs and 52 RBIs.

In a ninth-inning pinch-hitting role Sunday, Karros struck out on three pitches by closer Armando Benitez, the second time in as many appearances Benitez struck out Karros in the ninth inning.

“He’s had some [positive] moments,” Tracy said of Karros. “But I think it’s safe to say that he is struggling offensively.

“The customary thing around here is being used to this guy somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 to 30 home runs, in the neighborhood of 90 to 100-plus RBIs. He’s been hurt. He’s been hurt, and as a result of that he has struggled offensively. But is today an indicator that you’re not going to see Eric Karros for awhile? That’s not correct.”

Karros has two years remaining on his contract with a vesting option for a third year. He is making $7 million this year, $6.5 million next year and $8 million in 2003. There is a club option for $9 million in 2004 or a $1-million buyout. Including his $1.5-million signing bonus, Karros is guaranteed at least $24 million and has a no-trade clause in his contract this season and next.

Left-handed situational reliever Jesse Orosco, 44, was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday, retroactive to Aug. 13, because of a lower back sprain, and left-hander Jeff Williams was called up from triple-A Las Vegas to fill the roster spot.

Williams, 29, was optioned to Las Vegas on Aug. 1 and went 2-1 with a 1.88 earned-run average in four starts. On Aug. 13, Williams threw a complete-game, five-hit shutout with seven strikeouts and one walk against Sacramento.

Williams will join the Dodgers in Miami on Tuesday for their three-game series at the Florida Marlins because the 51s are playing in New Orleans.

Kevin Brown, out since July 16 because of a severe sprain of the flexor muscle in his right (throwing) elbow, will begin a series of bullpen workouts Tuesday at Pro Player Stadium. Brown, 36, is scheduled to then have bullpen sessions Thursday and Saturday.