Izturis Expects to Play Shortstop Upon Return

As he prepared to embark on a rehabilitation assignment, Cesar Izturis said Tuesday that he was readying himself to play shortstop upon his return to Dodger Stadium.

“That’s what I’ve been working on [since] spring training,” said Izturis, whose assignment in Vero Beach, Fla., is scheduled to begin Friday. “They don’t say anything yet [about a position switch], so I’m going to wait and see where we go from there.”

Izturis is expected only to hit in Florida before playing second base and shortstop once he moves to triple-A Las Vegas on June 1.

“No one knows what’s going to happen when it’s time for him to play” with the Dodgers, Manager Grady Little said, though he acknowledged that moving the All-Star shortstop to the outfield was “way down the list” of options.

Said Izturis: “I’m just ready to play my position.”

The Dodgers have discussed moving shortstop Rafael Furcal to third base to make room for Izturis until Bill Mueller returns from the disabled list, but Willy Aybar is playing so well at third he would be hard to displace.

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Saying “It was the first time in a long time I didn’t have to go out there and think about my arm,” Eric Gagne moved another step closer to his return from elbow surgery when he faced hitters for the second time in five days.

The Dodgers closer unveiled his entire repertoire -- fastball, curveball, slider and a changeup that Izturis called “filthy” -- during a 20-pitch session at Dodger Stadium in which hitting coach Eddie Murray, standing behind the batting cage, served as an impromptu umpire.

“You could tell by the reaction of those hitters up there the stuff he had,” Little said. “It was a pleasant sight.”

Gagne is scheduled to pitch Friday and Monday for Las Vegas before being activated when the Dodgers open their next homestand on June 1.

“For me, just to get ready, it’s just a matter of facing hitters and working counts and stuff like that,” said Gagne, who will be limited to about 20 pitches in each of his rehabilitation appearances. “I’m not really worried about the elbow at all.”

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Little said he was encouraged by the progress exhibited by Jae Seo, who has rebounded from a slow start to log quality starts in four of his last five appearances. “His location is much better than it was in the starts where he didn’t have good success,” Little said.