Former Starters Can’t Stretch It Out

Rookie Eric Stults will make his first start Sunday. Rookie Chad Billingsley is scheduled to make his 15th start a week from today. Rookie Hong-Chih Kuo made his first start Friday night.

Experience, apparently, is not the primary qualification to crack the Dodgers rotation.

Especially considering they have three relievers with a combined 718 big league starts who probably will stay in the bullpen.

Aaron Sele (352 starts), Brett Tomko (231) and Elmer Dessens (135) aren’t considered viable options because they aren’t “stretched out,” a term coaches use to indicate the stamina and arm strength a pitcher has developed over time.

Tomko hasn’t thrown more than two innings since going on the disabled list in late June. Sele last went deep into a game Aug. 1. Dessens has been a reliever all season.

“I’ve been a one-inning guy for five or six weeks,” Tomko said. “It would be very hard to stretch me out. I don’t think it’s realistic. I think they like what I’m doing. The bullpen has been stable.”

Manager Grady Little said Tomko, who has been used as a setup man in the seventh and eighth innings, is the least likely of the three to start. Sele and Dessens are long relievers who could make an emergency start and go four or five innings.

The Dodgers have another reliever who has made 120 starts, including 25 this season, in left-hander Mark Hendrickson. He hasn’t been effective, but Little said he might get another start down the stretch.

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Billingsley threw off a mound without pain in his left side and will do so again Sunday. He’ll pitch a simulated game Tuesday and is scheduled to start Saturday at home against the San Diego Padres.

The way Little has the rotation penciled out the rest of the season, Maddux will make five starts beginning today, Derek Lowe will make five and Brad Penny will make four.

That leaves seven to fill -- six after Stults starts Sunday. With Billingsley getting healthy and Kuo suddenly in favor, the rotation might go from a sore point to a strength.

“That’s what we’re hoping,” Little said.

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Watching from the bench felt odd to left fielder Andre Ethier, a rookie who isn’t really considered a rookie because of how often he plays and how well he hits.

Ethier had started 70 of the last 73 games and appeared in every game since June 16 before being rested Friday. He is leading all rookies with a .327 batting average but was in a one-for-11 slide.

“He’s been kind of sluggish the last day or two,” Little said. “We have to remind ourselves he’s a rookie. He’s not used to playing this time of year.”

Ethier continues to make adjustments as pitchers develop strategies to get him out. He’s an aggressive hitter, and lately he has seen more pitches a few inches off the plate.

“They are trying to get me to chase, so I’m trying to walk more,” he said. “I’m working on better pitch selection.”

Ethier has eight walks in his last eight games after drawing only 20 in his first 97 games.

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steve.henson@latimes.com