Roberts to Be Activated Today

Center fielder Dave Roberts, out since July 2 because of a strained right hamstring, joined the Dodgers on Friday after a three-game rehabilitation stint with rookie league Ogden, Utah, and will be activated today.

Roberts’ return creates a bit of an outfield logjam, giving the Dodgers four players -- Roberts, Rickey Henderson, Jeromy Burnitz and Shawn Green -- for three spots, but Manager Jim Tracy made it clear that Green and Burnitz would play on an everyday basis, and Roberts and Henderson will split the third spot.

Green, of course, is the team’s No. 3 hitter and a lineup fixture, and the Dodgers can’t afford to take Burnitz, who entered Friday’s game with a .275 average, 20 home runs and 51 runs batted in and hit home run No. 21 off Randy Johnson in the second inning, out of the lineup.

“Twenty homers is something we’ve been looking for, and now I’m going to take him out?” Tracy said of Burnitz, acquired from the New York Mets during the All-Star break. “I don’t think so. We’ve been looking for that [kind of power] for 90 games.”

Roberts will start in center field against most right-handed pitchers, with Burnitz moving to left. Against left-handers, Henderson will play left field and Burnitz center.

It won’t be a straight platoon -- Henderson probably will start against some right-handers -- but it’s doubtful Henderson and Roberts will play together, even though Tracy has discussed the possibility of Henderson leading off and Roberts hitting second.

“The right way to use Rickey at this point of his career is to not over-use him, because if you do, fatigue becomes a factor,” Tracy said. “And you know Roberts is ready to go, but are you just going to fire him out there six or seven days a week? That’s unlikely.

“There aren’t enough spots for [Henderson and Roberts] to both be in the same lineup.... If we had those two, the two middle infielders [Cesar Izturis and Alex Cora] and the pitcher, that would be too similar to the lineup we had before the All-Star break, and that doesn’t make sense.”

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Roberts had four hits in 10 at-bats, stole a base and made a diving catch in the outfield in three games at Ogden, fully testing his hamstring.

“There’s soreness, but that’s because I hadn’t played in 30 days,” said Roberts, who has 24 stolen bases with the Dodgers. “I’m confident I can go 100%. There’s no pain in the spot where I initially hurt it.”

Roberts suffered his first hamstring strain on April 25 against Pittsburgh and went on the disabled list May 17. He returned -- too soon, he admits now -- on June 1 but aggravated the injury and was back on the DL July 2.

“The last time I came back, I still felt weak in the spot the injury occurred, even when I was just stretching or getting a massage,” Roberts said. “I don’t feel that now. My strength is better, and I’m confident it will stand up.”

As for the possibility of splitting time with Henderson, Roberts said: “My main concern is getting healthy. My next concern is I want to play. It’s Trace’s decision. He has options. Whatever he wants to do. I just want to win baseball games.”