Weaver Hit Hard Again but Says He’ll Be OK

Jeff Weaver was shelled again Monday. The right-hander, who is a leading candidate to be the opening-day starter, surrendered a pair of two-run home runs by Albert Pujols in three innings against the St. Louis Cardinals and has given up four home runs and five doubles in six innings over two appearances.

If the Dodgers are the least bit concerned, no one is showing it.

“Weav is a guy who gradually builds into it,” Manager Jim Tracy said. “He’ll be fine.”

Weaver had a horrendous spring last year, giving up 51 hits and 25 runs in 28 1/3 innings. Then the season started and he became a reliable starter, posting a 4.01 earned-run average in 220 innings.

“It’s a different ballgame once the season starts,” he said. “You’ve got scouting reports and you aren’t going to feed first-pitch fastballs in there every time.”

Weaver touched 90 mph with one fastball, although several others were clocked in the low 80s.

“I’m not worried about results,” he said. “I threw five of every six pitches where I wanted.”

*

The starting rotation is supposed to be a Dodger strength. So far, though, only Derek Lowe among the top four pitchers has displayed top form.

Left-hander Odalis Perez has not appeared in a spring game and has not thrown a bullpen session since Feb. 23 because of biceps tendinitis. He has had a variety of treatments, including acupuncture, and played catch three days in a row. However, he won’t appear in a game until the weekend at the earliest.

Perez had a similar injury last spring. He made his first appearance March 9 and soon pitched well, striking out 28 and walking three while posting an ERA of 1.73 in 26 innings.

“He was late out of the chute and it didn’t affect him,” Tracy said.

Brad Penny’s comeback from a biceps nerve injury also is proceeding at a leisurely pace. He will throw in the bullpen today, Thursday and either Saturday or Sunday.

He has not thrown a curveball and has not faced hitters, steps he must take before appearing in a game.

“A lot has to do with how he’s feeling,” Tracy said. “We’re not going to push that.”

Asked whether Penny’s biggest obstacle is mental at this point, Tracy said, “To a certain extent, that’s a hurdle he has to climb over. That takes time. The only thing that can resolve that is time.”

*

The Dodgers fell to the Cardinals, 6-1, then defeated the Marlins, 4-2. ... Right-hander D.J. Houlton, a Rule 5 draft pick in November, struck out five and gave up no hits or runs in three innings against the Marlins.

Houlton possesses an effective curveball that Tracy compares to that of Marlin right-hander Josh Beckett. Dodger pitching coach Jim Colborn made an adjustment in Houlton’s mechanics that helped him command the curve.

“When I get my curve over, it makes my fastball better,” Houlton said. “It makes it so much easier to pitch.”

*

Shortstop Cesar Izturis misplayed a groundball for the second game in a row, noteworthy because he caught every groundball that came his way last season, according to Dodger officials.

En route to winning the Gold Glove award, Izturis made 10 errors, nine on throws and one on a line drive that he dropped.