Left-Hander Kuo Is Giving Team Lots of Options

Had Hong-Chih Kuo simply maintained the status quo, he might have made the Dodger opening-day roster anyway.

But the left-handed reliever developed a slider last month, and it was devastating as he threw two perfect innings Saturday against the Detroit Tigers in a 3-2 victory. He struck out the first four batters, then got a weak comebacker and a popout.

Kuo, 24, has not given up a run in five spring appearances since returning from the World Baseball Classic, where he played for Chinese Taipei.

“I’ve had command of my breaking ball,” he said. “The slider is coming along. I threw it four times [Saturday].”

His chances of beginning the season in Los Angeles instead of Las Vegas are increasing by the outing.

“The kid has been outstanding,” Manager Grady Little said. “He was in complete command. He doesn’t back off from any hitter. What more can you say.”

Dodger officials will have plenty to say about Kuo’s role before determining whether he needs more seasoning. Is he a middle reliever? A situational left-hander? Or, perhaps most intriguingly, a starter?

Kuo began his career as a starter but twice had elbow ligament replacement surgery, causing the Dodgers to move him to the bullpen. The arm problems have not cost him velocity -- he struck out 96 batters in 59 2/3 innings last season, making 11 appearances in Class A, 17 in double A and nine with the Dodgers.

The injuries had caused the Dodgers to be extremely conservative with him until last season. From 2000 to 2004, Kuo pitched only 42 1/3 innings. He lacks seasoning, but not stuff.

“We never had him throw in back-to-back games last year,” pitching coach Rick Honeycutt said. “And we had to force him to spin the ball and throw an occasional curve. He basically went through the season with a fastball and a changeup.”

Now, what to do with him?

If he makes the team out of spring training, it would be as a middle reliever capable of throwing two innings against right- and left-handed batters. He probably would not come in exclusively to face dangerous left-handed batters because that role requires pitching two or three days in a row.

If the Dodgers decide he would become a starter, he would do so in triple A.

“It’s not been ruled out by any means,” Honeycutt said. “But there is the overriding question: How can he help the club the most right now?”

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Another impressive young reliever is right-hander Franquelis Osoria, who picked up the save Saturday with a scoreless ninth inning. He has given up two runs in seven innings....Reliever Lance Carter, acquired from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays along with Danys Baez for prospects Edwin Jackson and Chuck Tiffany, also pitched a scoreless inning. He has not been scored upon in nine spring innings and has struck out eight....Reliever Yhency Brazoban, whose progress has been slowed by his late arrival to camp and a sore shoulder, gave up one run and two hits in two innings....Catcher Russell Martin drove in two runs with a two-out single in the ninth to give the Dodgers the victory.

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It’s not often a 42-year-old catcher starts an afternoon game the day after playing an extra-inning night game.

Actually, it’s not often a 42-year-old is catching at all. But it was important to Pat Borders to play against the Tigers because he lives in nearby Lake Wales and had a large contingent of family and friends in attendance.

His wife and seven children were there, walking to their seats in a conga line. The kids, who range in age from 15 years to 6 months, all have names that begin with the letter ‘L.’.

“Towheads, all of them,” Borders said.