Garciaparra Is Back but Still Hobbled

Nomar Garciaparra sounded more like someone getting ready to go on the disabled list than come off it.

“It’s going to be sore, it’s going to be tough to do certain things,” the Dodgers first baseman said of the sprained right knee that had forced him to sit out more than two weeks.

Would Garciaparra need to take any precautions Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium in his first game back?

“Running the bases and stuff,” he said. “I definitely won’t say I’m going full-bore.”

The prognosis for one of the Dodgers’ top hitters didn’t sound promising, especially after he acknowledged that he had run the bases at about only half-speed before his return and might require a pinch-runner in the late innings. Wouldn’t he have preferred to wait until he was 100% before coming back?

“No, because that will be a long time from now,” Garciaparra said. “These injuries take a while, and they can take anywhere from four to six weeks before you’re 100%. But I don’t think anybody’s 100% out there now.”

Manager Grady Little said he didn’t think Garciaparra would have to risk playing hurt the rest of the season.

“We would not put him back in there if we thought that this was the case,” Little said. “We feel like he’s gradually gotten better, and by going out there and trying to play on it, barring anything freaky happening ... it should continue to get better.”

Nonetheless, Little did say he would monitor Garciaparra closely to see whether he needed more days off than usual over the season’s last 50 games.

“He’s like anyone else coming back from an injury like he’s had,” Little said. “There’s a good chance he won’t be at full speed here for a while, but our ability to get his bat back into the lineup we feel will be beneficial.”

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Wilson Betemit was out of the starting lineup for the first time since making his Dodgers debut July 30, in part because the third baseman was batting .111 against left-handed pitchers and also because he had played nine consecutive games since being acquired from Atlanta.

“This guy, Wilson Betemit, he’s never played every day in his life over there in Atlanta, and since he got here he’s been on the field the whole time, so he deserves a break,” Little said.

Julio Lugo replaced Betemit at third against Colorado left-hander Jeff Francis and probably will start there against left-handers the rest of the season. Lugo can also play second base, shortstop and the outfield, and Little said he expected that shortstop Rafael Furcal would need an occasional day off after starting 110 of the Dodgers’ first 114 games.