Leaving A’s Worked Out for Ethier

Dodgers players and coaches agree that rookie Andre Ethier is sociable, team-oriented and talented. As opposed to the players for whom he was traded -- Milton Bradley and Antonio Perez -- who, everyone agreed, were talented.

So it’s surprising that a reason Ethier was traded by the Oakland Athletics last off-season was his attitude. The outfielder, who hits left-handed, felt he should have been promoted from double A to triple A at midseason and complained to his manager about it.

Ethier said he recognized that few Athletics minor leaguers were rewarded for outstanding seasons with promotions. Despite being selected Texas League most valuable player, he did not think he had any chance to break into the big leagues this season.

So he all but asked to be traded.

“I didn’t think I was considered one of their main prospects,” he said. “They like to bring players along slowly, and that’s fine. But there were a lot of teams out there I thought I could help.”

Oakland General Manager Billy Beane said last week he had no doubt Ethier would be a major leaguer, saying, “We loved Andre.”

Yet Beane traded him, and the Dodgers are glad he did.

In 97 at-bats since arriving from triple-A Las Vegas, Ethier is batting .299 with four homers and 15 runs batted in. Neither Bradley nor Perez is doing nearly as well.

Ethier points to the Athletics roster as evidence that he would be toiling in the minors if not for the trade.

“There is only one of my teammates from the minors in the other clubhouse right now,” he said. “They brought up Jeremy Brown because Frank Thomas got hurt.

“If anything it worked out better for me. There are no hard feelings.”

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J.D. Drew was out of the lineup for the second day in a row, but not because of the thigh bruise that had him hobbling for a few days.

“It’s a Zito reason,” he said.

Manager Grady Little said left-handed hitting Drew hasn’t been swinging the bat well lately and didn’t want him falling into a deeper funk against Barry Zito, the Athletics’ standout left-handed pitcher.

“He hasn’t been right at the plate for a few days and we want him to get it going,” Little said. “But against this pitcher it wouldn’t be a good day for him to get it going.”

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The Dodgers signed sixth-round pick Garrett White, a left-handed pitcher from Mississippi, and seventh-round pick Jamie Ortiz, a high school first baseman from Puerto Rico.

First pick Clayton Kershaw is expected to sign this weekend for about $2.3 million.

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Closer Eric Gagne was prescribed a new anti-inflammatory medication to try to alleviate the nerve discomfort in his elbow.... Catcher Dioner Navarro, who was optioned to Las Vegas, batted .046 during his minor league rehabilitation assignment.