Repko’s Stock Still Increasing

Hard-nosed rookie outfielder Jason Repko is a fresh face, yet something of a blur because he is always in motion.

Lately, the direction is up.

Not only is it apparent he will make the team, he will get most of the playing time in left field and bat second in the lineup while Jayson Werth is on the disabled list.

Repko batted second for the 10th time this spring Sunday against the Atlanta Braves, notable because the opposing pitcher was acclaimed right-hander Tim Hudson.

Rather than elevate left-handed hitting Hee-Seop Choi to the two-hole or play left-handed hitting outfielder Ricky Ledee, Manager Jim Tracy once again scribbled in Repko’s name.

General Manager Paul DePodesta likes Choi batting second because of his high on-base percentage. But Tracy believes Repko is better served there because he will see more good pitches than he would batting eighth.

“It’s awfully tough for a rookie to bat in the eight hole where he’s getting everything but the kitchen sink from the opposing pitcher,” Tracy said.

Repko went one for three and threw out a runner trying to score from second on a single in the Dodgers’ 11-6 victory. He is batting .368 in 57 at-bats -- 14 more than any other Dodger.

In other words, he is getting a long look.

“Does he have a very good chance of making the club? Without pinning me down, I’d say it is favorable,” Tracy said.

Whether the right-handed hitting Repko would start opening day against San Francisco Giant ace Jason Schmidt is to be determined. Tracy likes the idea of having Ledee as a pinch-hitter late in games, so Repko probably will start against some right-handed pitchers.

Werth’s job awaits him when he is healthy, and Repko probably would be sent to triple-A to play every day. At that point, Tracy is leaning toward moving Choi to second in the lineup with Werth batting sixth.

Werth hit off a tee for the first time since he broke a bone in his wrist March 2 and is still not close to appearing in a game.

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Washington National minor leaguers Dan Dement and Richard Lane probably raced to their cell phones and called home the moment their game at Dodgertown ended.

They both hit singles against vaunted Dodger closer Eric Gagne, who pitched one inning in the minor league game because his scheduled appearance the night before was rained out. Gagne threw 30 pitches, giving up one run when Lane drove in Dement, and appeared to have regressed slightly from the steady progress he made in three appearances last week.

Gagne’s fastball reached only 91 mph and he had trouble with the command of his changeup, throwing two for wild pitches.

Odalis Perez, Yhency Brazoban and Duaner Sanchez also pitched in minor league games to make up for the rainout. Perez, who is trying to develop enough stamina to be able to start the second game of the season April 6, threw 45 pitches in 3 1/3 innings.

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Kelly Wunsch is gaining an edge over Mike Venafro in a battle of left-handed submarine pitchers seeking bullpen berths.

Venafro faced three Brave batters, giving up a home run to left-handed hitting Adam LaRoche and two singles. His earned-run average in 3 2/3 innings over eight spring appearances is 17.17. Wunsch pitched one scoreless inning, dropping his ERA to 4.05 in 6 2/3 innings over eight appearances.