On Field, There Has Been Little Spring in Their Step

All the focus on the surgically repaired elbows of Kevin Brown and Andy Ashby, the success and struggles of Kazuhisa Ishii and the competition for the center field, shortstop and fifth rotation jobs have obscured this not-so-minor detail: The Dodgers have played poorly this spring.

Right fielder Shawn Green is batting .103 (three for 29), second baseman Mark Grudzielanek is hitless in 14 spring at-bats and has not fully recovered from a sore right hamstring, Eric Karros is batting .216, and Adrian Beltre is hitting .167 after Wednesday’s 12-3 exhibition loss to Houston.

The Dodgers (6-12) are batting .237 and have committed 29 errors in 21 games. No player has stepped up and seized the center-field or leadoff spots. Brown and Ashby have shown little consistency, Ishii’s last outing, in which he gave up six runs, has raised questions, and Matt Herges, a closer candidate, has been rocked for eight earned runs on 18 hits in eight innings.

“There’s a point when we need to start picking it up, start gaining some momentum,” catcher Paul Lo Duca said. “We’re making too many errors, too many stupid errors, and that has to stop, no matter when you’re playing.”

Manager Jim Tracy is not about to panic. “The one thing about spring training,” he said, “is that when the last game is played, you can forget everything.”

Left fielder Brian Jordan said it’s difficult getting excited for exhibition games.

“But once the season starts and that light switch goes on, you get pumped up and the adrenaline starts flowing,” he said. “Spring training doesn’t mean a thing. It’s all about seeing pitches and preparing yourself mentally.”

Reserve outfielder Dante Bichette, concerned about his dwindling chances of making the team, is contemplating a request to be released, but he put off a decision after speaking with Tracy and General Manager Dan Evans.

Bichette, a career .299 hitter with 274 home runs in 14 seasons, was thought to be a lock to make the team, but he’s batting .179 (seven for 39) in 15 games. Tracy said he “wasn’t 100% convinced Bichette is on this club,” and questioned whether Bichette, who has never had fewer than 349 at-bats a season since 1990, would accept a pinch-hitting role.

“What we’re looking for is completely different than what he’s accustomed to,” Tracy said.

Bichette’s perception of his play--as well as his potential role--seem to differ from that of the Dodgers. “I’ve done everything I can do,” Bichette, 38, said. “The hits haven’t been falling, but my bat speed is still there. I’ve played good defense. I do know this, there’s no doubt in my mind I can be a productive player, no matter what I hit in spring training.”

Bichette admitted, however, that he might have problems adjusting to a lesser role. When he signed a minor league contract on Jan. 30, Bichette hoped he would see significant time in the outfield and get around 400 at-bats.

“I question whether I can handle that [pinch-hitting] role,” Bichette said. “The key is having enough at-bats to where you don’t feel you’re coming in out of the blue. It’s not an easy role. It’s something you’ve got to really want to do.”

Bichette and Evans declined to discuss the details of their meeting. A clause in Bichette’s contract requires him to be on the major league roster by April 1 or released with $75,000 in termination play.

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The Dodgers optioned pitcher Jeff Williams to triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday, and outfielder Mark Whiten was assigned to minor league camp.