Drew Eases Into Swing

J.D. Drew will take a different tack to finding his swing this year. Instead of chasing it until he is ground to a nub, he’ll let it come to him.

The outfielder walked and singled in his first spring at-bats Friday, contributing to a 17-hit barrage in an 8-7 loss to the Atlanta Braves at Disney’s Wide World of Sports.

“Last year I hit way too much in the cages when I was struggling and it just made it worse,” he said, referring to an 0-for-25 slump to start the season. “This year I’m going to take minimal swings, but the right kind of swings.”

The Dodgers are pleased he is focused on his swing instead of his health. He is ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation from minor shoulder surgery, his surgically repaired wrist feels fine and the knee that gave him problems for years hasn’t acted up.

Few thought Drew would be playing this soon because in addition to the injuries, he was three days late to spring training because his wife had a baby. But he has already displayed impressive power during batting practice. He belted two balls off the second story of the administration building at Holman Stadium on Thursday and drove one well over 400 feet Friday.

“I know my swing very well,” he said. “When it is feeling right I’ll keep gas in the tank for the season and try to be ready.”

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Issues with the Dominican Republic team in the World Baseball Classic seem never-ending.

Not only has pitcher Odalis Perez decided to join the team in Orlando three days before his start against Italy instead of one day, reliever Yhency Brazoban was asked to play because Pedro Martinez and Ervin Santana have withdrawn.

Brazoban has been nursing a sore shoulder and won’t be allowed to go, at least until the second round.

“I don’t see any way he will be ready to pitch in the first round,” Dodger Manager Grady Little said. “It’s not in his best interest to do that.”

Brazoban will throw bullpen sessions today and Monday, then is scheduled appear in a Grapefruit League game Wednesday or Thursday.

Little said Brazoban shouldn’t assume he has made the team -- the Dodger team, that is -- even though he had 21 saves last season.

“There are a lot of pitchers competing for spots in this bullpen,” Little said.

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Playing the Braves two days in a row gave top prospect Andy LaRoche a chance to spend time with his brother, Adam, who plays first base for the Braves.

“We spent a couple hours together,” Andy said. “I enjoyed that. We don’t even talk about baseball. I do that with my dad.”

LaRoche’s father, Dave, pitched in the major leagues for 14 years. After the Dodgers played an exhibition game in Jacksonville, Dave and Andy sat in the clubhouse and talked.

“We go over the game,” Andy said. “We’ve been doing that for a long time.”

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Prospect Jonathan Broxton gave up four consecutive hits in the ninth, including a walk-off three-run home run by the Braves’ top prospect, catcher Jarrod Saltalmacchia.... Outfielder Jason Repko, who batted .325 and won a major league job last spring, and Ramon Martinez, who is battling Oscar Robles for a utility infield spot, each had three hits. Robles doubled and singled.... Starter Brett Tomko retired the six batters he faced so efficiently that he went to the bullpen and threw another 20 pitches.... A new rule prompted by the World Baseball Classic allows National League teams to use a designated hitter, and the Dodgers will use Jeff Kent, Joel Guzman and Drew.