Saenz’s Hitting Makes Him the Third Option

It was about this time last year that Olmedo Saenz starting looking at the lineup card with more than a casual interest.

A productive pinch-hitter and occasional infielder in the best of times, he plays several days in a row only when the roster is riddled with injuries.

Patching together a lineup has become a daily riddle for Manager Grady Little, and he may have found an answer in Saenz, who is batting .290 with 19 runs batted in after going 0 for 4 in Monday’s 5-4 win over Colorado.

“Olmedo is swinging the bat so good, we’re going to ride that horse while we can,” Little said.

Saenz filled in at third base for the injured Bill Mueller the last two days, although Oscar Robles will play third today because he has hit well against Rockies starter Byung-Hyun Kim.

Little leaned toward rookie Willie Aybar immediately after Mueller went on the disabled list, but Aybar fell out of favor Saturday when he made a crucial error in the ninth inning of a 6-5 loss to the San Francisco Giants.

Saenz, 35, also can be a defensive liability -- he made a throwing error on the first ball hit to him Monday and it led to a Colorado run. But he’s a veteran and a power hitter, and none of the other options at third offer that combination of qualities.

Saenz entered Monday night’s game with 58 at-bats. Last year on May 15 he had 57 at-bats, but his playing time accelerated because of injuries and lack of production by other players, and he accumulated 50 to 70 at-bats every month thereafter to finish with career-high totals of 319 at-bats, 15 home runs and 63 runs batted in. The grind of playing that often took its toll. Saenz faded in September, batting .167 with one home run.

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Saenz’s best position is first base, but he is getting little action there because Nomar Garciaparra has been hot.

Garciaparra was named National League co-player of the week with Albert Pujols, becoming the first Dodger to get the award since Steve Finley in September 2004. Garciaparra has hit in 10 consecutive games and is batting .354 with 23 RBIs in 21 games since coming off the disabled list.

Although there were concerns he might be on the downside of his career when he signed an incentive-laden one-year contract during the off-season, he stayed positive while learning a new position in spring training and recovering from a rib cage injury that sidelined him the first 18 games.

“I didn’t listen to the whispers in the last two places I played,” he said, laughing. “I’m not going to start now.”

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Mueller’s surgery to clean loose cartilage from his right knee went well, Little said. Mueller is expected to return in about five weeks. . . . Eric Gagne will throw a bullpen session today and might throw to hitters in early batting practice Friday.