Kent’s Wrist Recovering

Jeff Kent’s wrist surgery six weeks ago was more extensive than originally reported by the Dodgers, although the veteran second baseman said his recovery is “on track.”

“I’m going to be ready to play baseball when I need to play baseball,” he said Tuesday after the first Dodger full-squad workout.

Kent had elective surgery Jan. 9, which the Dodgers said was done to clean scar tissue from his right wrist. However, Kent said doctors also “fixed a small ligament tear.”

Kent is not batting or throwing. He fielded ground balls Tuesday and participated in baserunning drills. Doctors said at the time of his surgery that he would be completely healed by the second week of March.

“I can’t afford setbacks, so I’ll take that process slow,” he said. “I’ve been able to throw some but I’ve made no effort to swing. I’m staying away from it for a while. I won’t push it.”

Kent had surgery to repair a broken bone in his left wrist in March 2002, an injury caused when he took a spill on a motorcycle. He said the two injuries can’t be compared.

“That was a hairline fracture and I was out [five] weeks,” he said. “This is ligament related, more inflammatory than anything.”

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Infielder Olmedo Saenz had no intention of playing for Panama in the World Baseball Classic until his mother died six days ago.

“Now I am going to play for the memory of my mom,” he said. “The outpouring in my country for me was very touching.”

Saenz is the seventh Dodger to commit to the WBC, joining Jose Cruz Jr. and Ricky Ledee of Puerto Rico, Jae Seo and Hee-Seop Choi of South Korea, Oscar Robles of Mexico and Hong-Chih Kuo of Chinese Taipei.

Ledee, a reserve outfielder, said the competition will be especially good for veteran bench players.

“Guys like me and Olmedo need to play a lot in the spring to get ready for our roles,” Ledee said. “The at-bats in the Classic will help. I’m ready to play nine innings right now.”

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It didn’t surprise Nomar Garciaparra when Manager Grady Little took it upon himself to give the new first baseman a day off Monday. Garciaparra played for Little in Boston in 2002 and 2003, and came to expect such thoughtful treatment.

Garciaparra was the first position player in camp and has worked every day learning a new position, from breaking in a new mitt to taking batting practice to fielding grounders and flipping to pitchers covering first.

So the day before position players were required to report for physicals, Little said to Garciaparra, “Go spend tomorrow at the beach. Take a breather before we really get it going.”

“He’ll do that with other guys too,” Garciaparra said. “He recognizes when somebody can use a mental break.”

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Closer Eric Gagne has appealed a two-game suspension he received April 29 and a hearing is expected during spring training. If the suspension is upheld, he probably would miss the first two games of the season.

Gagne received the suspension because he was in uniform and on the bench while on the disabled list during a game April 26, which was brought to the attention of the umpires because he was arguing calls. He appealed the suspension at the time, but no hearing was held because a different injury shelved him for the rest of the season.

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Outfielder J.D. Drew’s wife, Sheigh, gave birth to a boy, J.D., the couple’s first child. Drew is scheduled to report Thursday and begin workouts Friday.... Half the Dodger pitchers threw live batting practice and the others will do so today. An exception is Gagne, who will throw to batters Thursday.... Baseball America has ranked Dodger minor league talent as the best in baseball.