McGriff Off the Disabled List

Fred McGriff is back.

Well, sort of.

The Dodgers activated McGriff from the disabled list Friday and optioned pitcher Scott Mullen to triple-A Las Vegas to make room for McGriff on the 25-man roster.

However, the 39-year-old first baseman, sidelined since July 4 because of injuries to his left groin and right knee, said he wants to ease back into the starting lineup, which is fine with the Dodgers.

“I hope I’m ready to play every day, but I can’t quite answer that one,” said McGriff, who has had two stints on the disabled list and played in only 67 of the team’s 127 games.

“I haven’t played in two months. I have to get a comfort level, and get back to swinging the bat every day. We just have to see how it goes.”

Third baseman Adrian Beltre’s hot streak prompted the Dodgers to move Robin Ventura to first base. With left-hander Al Leiter starting Friday for the New York Mets, right-handed batter Ron Coomer opened the game at first.

The Dodgers would have a logjam at that position if McGriff were ready to resume his previous everyday role, so they’re content to give the 17-year veteran as much time as he needs.

“I had a nice chat with Fred, and we’ll take things as they come along,” Manager Jim Tracy said. “We’ll see where he’s at, see how he’s going.

“We won’t push it to the point of having him feel like he’s going to [suffer another setback]. We’ll take it day-to-day with him.”

McGriff went on the disabled list for the first time in his career June 23 because of a strained right groin. The Dodgers activated McGriff on July 1, but it was clear he was not ready to play.

McGriff acknowledged as much after returning to the disabled list July 6, vowing not to return until he had healed completely. Has he?

“Nobody knows until you go out there and play,” said McGriff, who needs 12 home runs for 500 in his career.

“You hope you can go out there and not get hurt. I’m getting there, more or less. Gradually, I’m going to get going again.”

At the very least, the Dodgers will now have a left-handed hitter on their bench.

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Kazuhisa Ishii, sidelined since Aug. 2 because of a sprained ligament in his left knee and scratched from a scheduled start today, said he had an encouraging bullpen session Friday, and the Dodgers hop the left-hander will rejoin the rotation next week.

Ishii is scheduled for more bullpen work Sunday. If all goes well, he would face batters Wednesday and might be activated next weekend.

“If he passes all those tests,” Tracy said, “we would be looking at some time toward the end of next week.”

Is Ishii ready to pitch now?

“I think I can throw, but if I’m going to pitch, I have to win,” Ishii said through an interpreter. “Can I pitch to a point where I can [win]? I don’t know.”

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Right fielder Shawn Green was sidelined for the second game in a row because of a stiff neck. Green suffered the injury on a swing in the third inning of Wednesday’s 4-1, 10-inning victory over the Montreal Expos.

“It’s kind of wait and see,” Green said. “I could have played and pushed it a little, but Trace probably thought it was better to give me another day. I didn’t talk to him, but that’s what I assume from not being in the lineup.”

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A continuance was granted Friday in the case of reliever Guillermo Mota, who faces misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with a blood-alcohol level of .08 or higher.

Another pre-trial conference has been scheduled Sept. 22. At that conference, a trial date or another pre-trial conference will be scheduled, according to a spokesman for the Glendale branch of the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office.

Mota was arrested April 21 after allegedly speeding on the Ventura Freeway.