Houlton and Dessens Have Auditions Today

The vacant spots in the Dodger rotation may get filled after today, depending on how Elmer Dessens and rookie D.J. Houlton fare in their respective starts.

As it stands, Manager Jim Tracy is unsure who will start against the Chicago White Sox on Friday and Saturday.

Dessens is a preferred candidate, but much will depend on his rehabilitation start today for triple-A Las Vegas. He is scheduled to throw 70 pitches.

Houlton would probably earn a spot with another strong outing today against Minnesota. He went 5 1/3 innings, giving up one run, in a 2-1 victory over Milwaukee on June 4.

If Dessens isn’t ready or Houlton labors, rookie Derek Thompson would get the call. “It will be some combination involving those three,” Tracy said.

Houlton said he welcomed the opportunity. Of the 106 games he pitched in the minor leagues, 87 were starts.

“Going back to starting would be nice because I could get back in a routine,” he said, adding, “I just want to build on how I’ve been pitching. I can’t worry about my next start or my last one.”

Tracy said Jeff Weaver, Brad Penny and Derek Lowe would start against Kansas City in the first three games of a 13-game trip that begins Tuesday.

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Cesar Izturis, who ended an 0-for-25 slide with a first-inning single Friday, said he corrected a flaw in his swing that had contributed to a slump in which his average dropped from .345 to .310.

“I studied video of what I was doing earlier in the season and saw that I needed to keep my hands down,” Izturis said.

Izturis had one hit in three at-bats Saturday before leaving the game after six innings with what the Dodgers said was a mildly strained right hamstring.

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Pitcher Odalis Perez, on the disabled list since May 15 because of a sore left shoulder, is scheduled to throw in the bullpen today. Tracy said the team would decide afterward whether Perez would make a rehabilitation start.... Catcher Paul Bako will do a bullpen session today to test his injured left knee. Tracy said Bako would accompany the team on the trip.... Pitcher Wilson Alvarez, who had a cortisone injection Friday, said, “Hopefully in about three days I’ll be throwing again.”