Perez Looks Good in His First Outing

Left-hander Odalis Perez pitched two innings Tuesday -- his first of the spring -- and pronounced himself ready to start a game the first week of the regular season.

Manager Jim Tracy and pitching coach Jim Colborn stopped short of granting his wish, although they were delighted by how well he threw. Perez has been sidelined with biceps tendinitis, a lingering condition that had the Dodgers wondering whether he would have to start the season on the disabled list.

Those thoughts vanished after Perez threw 26 pitches -- all fastballs and changeups, 16 of them strikes -- against the Florida Marlins. He got three groundouts in the first inning, then gave up a home run to Carlos Delgado to open the second. Paul Lo Duca and Juan Encarnacion singled with one out, but Perez retired the next two hitters.

“I feel strong,” he said. “My fastball had good life. I believe I’ll be fine.”

Tracy’s decision could come down to whether he gives Perez two or three more spring starts. If Perez started twice, he would have enough rest to start the second game of the season against the San Francisco Giants. If he started three more times in the spring, his first regular-season start would be delayed until the fourth or fifth game, against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Colborn’s concern is that if Perez makes his first regular-season start on a limited pitch count, the bullpen could be strained.

“I’m gun shy about taxing the bullpen,” Colborn said. “But I’m glad to hear that he feels he’ll be ready.”

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Left-handers Mike Venafro, Kelly Wunsch and Frank Brooks are battling to make the team as situational relief pitchers. It was believed there would be room for only one, but Colborn has another idea.

“I want two of them,” he said.

Venafro and Wunsch are submarine pitchers, Brooks has a conventional delivery.

None is having a stellar spring, but Venafro and Wunsch were impressive Tuesday in a 5-3 victory over the Marlins. Venafro came into the game in the fifth inning with one out and runners on first and third, and got Delgado to hit into a double play. Wunsch pitched the eighth inning, striking out Delgado and Mike Lowell, and giving up a single to Lo Duca.

Colborn probably will get his way only if the Dodgers keep 12 pitchers, rather than 11. That depends partly on whether outfielder Jason Repko or third baseman Norihiro Nakamura makes the team. That could squeeze out a second situational left-handed pitcher.

“You can’t bother yourself thinking about it,” Venafro said. “Begging and pleading won’t change anything. You’ve got to put yourself in the frame of mind that, even if you aren’t on the opening-day roster, you can help the team at some point during the year.”