Pierre looks like a second-best hitter

See Juan hit. See Juan run. See Juan score.

The Dodgers weren’t seeing Juan Pierre do much of anything while batting leadoff and hitting only .211 over the season’s first nine games. But since Rafael Furcal returned from the disabled list and reclaimed his spot atop the batting order, Pierre has thrived in the No. 2 spot.

The center fielder was hitting .344 while batting second before the Dodgers played the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium, raising his overall average to .278.

Pierre said his surge in production had more to do with “just playing better right now and finding a few more holes” than where he hit in the batting order.

Historically, Pierre has a higher average batting first than he does second. From 2004 to 2006, he hit .300 from the leadoff spot -- where he amassed the majority of his at-bats -- and only .252 while batting second.

Pierre said his approach is the same regardless of where he hits in the order.

“I just try to get on base and score runs,” said Pierre, who led the Dodgers with 14 runs and was second in the National League with seven stolen bases before Saturday.

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Stan Conte, the Dodgers’ director of medical services, acknowledged getting “a tad greedy” with the progression of right fielder Matt Kemp’s recovery from a separated shoulder.

Kemp had to terminate his rehabilitation assignment with triple-A Las Vegas and return to Los Angeles on Friday when he experienced soreness in his shoulder after making a throw earlier in the week.

“We just went a little quicker than we should have,” Conte said. “We found out that he couldn’t do what we wanted him to do, and that’s why we pulled him back.”

Kemp hit during a simulated game Saturday and played some light catch with Conte, but he must demonstrate the ability to throw at full strength from the outfield before he resumes his rehabilitation assignment, Conte said.

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Jason Schmidt is in a holding pattern with his recovery from shoulder inflammation, though the pitcher said he felt “definite improvement” since going on the disabled list Tuesday.

Conte said the consensus among the physicians who reviewed the results of Schmidt’s recent MRI exam was that rest and rehabilitation was the best course of action. Schmidt began what Conte described as “some old-fashioned baseball exercises” Saturday, but there was no timetable for his return.

“Right now we’re just taking the first step in seeing what’s going on,” Conte said.

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Hong-Chih Kuo threw 45 pitches during a simulated game and proclaimed himself “ready for a game.” Just to make sure, the left-hander, who has been sidelined by shoulder soreness, will pitch one more simulated game Wednesday or Thursday before progressing to a rehabilitation assignment.... Reliever Yhency Brazoban’s road back to the Dodgers will include one more rehabilitation appearance for Class-A Inland Empire on Monday before pitching for one of the team’s higher-level minor league affiliates, most likely Las Vegas. Brazoban, recovering from elbow ligament replacement surgery, could join the Dodgers by sometime next month, Conte said. His fastball was clocked at 94 mph Friday.... Nomar Garciaparra is scheduled to take today off, with Olmedo Saenz playing first base.

ben.bolch@latimes.com