Some Outfield Defense Needs to Be Sacrificed

With Brian Jordan in left field, Dave Roberts in center and Shawn Green in right, the Dodgers believe they had an above-average outfield defensively.

Things have changed.

Jordan is out for the season after undergoing knee surgery, Roberts is on the disabled list because of recurring hamstring problems and Green has come under fire from fans who question his effort in the field.

Moreover, new left fielder Rickey Henderson was considered a liability on defense long before he turned 44, and Jeromy Burnitz is playing out of position in center. Burnitz, best suited to play right, badly misplayed a ball for his first error as a Dodger in Friday’s 8-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Dodgers insist they are still committed to defense, but changes are necessary when a team has the worst offense in the National League.

“I realize what we’re sacrificing in the early part of the game,” Manager Jim Tracy said. “We’re giving up a little something. We’re giving up range in the outfield, and you run the risk of having a ball get into a gap that under other circumstances, under different circumstances, possibly could be caught.

“Maybe it would be, maybe it wouldn’t be. But right now, we have to look upon it as us giving up a little something to get a little something that we didn’t have for the first 93 games.”

Although the need for production has outweighed the desire for defense, “when we get to a certain point and time in the game, I want ‘em [pitchers] surrounded with defense,” Tracy said.

Tracy removed Henderson for late defensive replacements in his first two games with the Dodgers. In Saturday’s 3-1 loss to the Cardinals, he started Jolbert Cabrera in center and went with Burnitz in place of Henderson in left.

Although Tracy recently re-floated the idea of moving Green to first base to avert an outfield logjam, others in the organization said that probably wouldn’t be a good idea. Green is showing encouraging signs of emerging from a season-long slump, and a position change would only cause him further anxiety.

So is Henderson headed to the bench?

“I don’t like to cross bridges,” Tracy said, “until I come to them.”

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Catcher Todd Hundley said he’s recovering faster than expected from June 5 surgery to have a disk fragment removed from his back, and might begin a rehabilitation assignment early next month.

“The last 10 days, everything has really picked up,” Hundley said. “You still have to wait and see how you feel each day, it’s still a day-to-day thing, but I’ve been feeling good.

“Whether it’s the first of August, the middle of August or whatever, I definitely think I can be back [this season]. There’s still more steps, but it’s getting better.”

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Outfielder Chad Hermansen was designated for assignment in order to activate Kevin Brown from the disabled list.

Hermansen batted .174 with two RBIs in nine games after being recalled from triple-A Las Vegas. The right-handed batter might remain with the organization if he clears waivers.