Green’s Start Doesn’t Worry His Teammates

Although Shawn Green is off to another slow start, the Dodgers said Tuesday they were optimistic because Green’s right shoulder was sound after off-season arthroscopic surgery.

“It’s going to take a while for him to get his full strength back, but you can just tell it’s coming from that ball he hit opening day,” catcher Paul Lo Duca said of Green’s solo home run in a loss to the San Diego Padres.

“He didn’t hit a ball like that all last year because he couldn’t extend and he couldn’t take his regular swings.

“Things aren’t falling in for him right now, but you can tell his swing is coming back.”

Many in the clubhouse agreed with Lo Duca, saying Green had displayed power in batting practice that he couldn’t generate last season. Green, who hit a home run in the seventh inning Tuesday night that was estimated at 420 feet, is pleased to be pain-free.

“It feels like I expected it to feel at this point,” he said. “Once I warm it up it’s fine, but when you have surgery, you have to do different things to get it ready.”

The Dodgers admire Green for not using his injury as an excuse last season despite being booed by fans.

“He took the brunt of it and got booed, but he didn’t want anybody to know,” Lo Duca said. “The guy was playing with a torn muscle and he still hit 19 homers with [a franchise-record 49] doubles. I feel he’s going to have a great year.”

*

Minor leaguer Edwin Jackson appeared to drop farther on the rotation depth chart as Manager Jim Tracy said Jose Lima would fill the fifth starter’s role Saturday against the San Francisco Giants.

Tracy made statements about Jackson’s being the fifth starter during winter workouts at Dodger Stadium and throughout spring training as the 20-year-old right-hander struggled with a 1-3 record and a 9.28 earned-run average.

“He’s the fifth starter,” Tracy said March 29. “What we decide to do as far as the fifth starter is concerned, as to when he pitches, still remains to be seen.”

But Tracy said he planned to turn to Lima, bringing the right-hander out of the bullpen instead of recalling Jackson, who gave up two runs in five innings in his first start for triple-A Las Vegas. Moreover, left-hander Wilson Alvarez also was being considered for the assignment ahead of Jackson.

Tracy intimated that facing the Giants at SBC Park would not be the best situation to ease in Jackson, saying he needed “another start or two before we really start seriously looking at that situation.”

Tracy declined to comment on whether Lima could secure the fifth spot with a strong outing Saturday. Lima pitched 1 1/3 innings in relief Tuesday night.

*

Reserve outfielder Jason Werth (strained abdominal muscle) was placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to last Tuesday, and the club recalled Chin-Feng Chen from Las Vegas to take Werth’s spot on the 25-man roster.

The Dodgers needed a right-handed batter with Werth sidelined, and Chen batted .316 with four doubles, one homer and three RBIs in five games with the 51s. Chen went hitless in six at-bats with the Dodgers the last two seasons.