Ethier gets a better sense of what he can offer

Bill Mueller doesn’t want to turn outfielder Andre Ethier into something he’s not.

“I’m not trying to make anybody anything. They make themselves,” said Mueller, who replaced Eddie Murray as the Dodgers’ batting coach last month.

Mueller’s modesty aside, his hands-on approach has resonated with the 25-year-old outfielder and helped make Ethier a better hitter.

There’s no magic involved, and Ethier’s talent and smooth swing provide terrific raw material with which to work.

Another strength is Ethier’s work ethic, which became his touchstone last season through a shoulder injury and a one-for-27 slump that left him watching Marlon Anderson take much of his playing time in September.

But unlike Murray, who didn’t offer the constant feedback that Ethier craves, Mueller has gotten Ethier to use his hands in concert with his head and his heart.

Ethier’s three-run home run Wednesday provided most of the offense in the Dodgers’ 5-4 victory over the Phillies and sustained his personal improvement since Mueller took over. Since June 14, Ethier’s batting average has risen from .261 to .301 and his on-base percentage has zoomed from .311 to .369, including five doubles and three of his eight home runs.

“He’s just now learning the league a little bit more, and he’s going to have a better understanding of these pitchers and how they’re going to approach him,” Mueller said.

“He definitely has the potential to hit some home runs. He definitely has the foundation.”

First, Ethier had to repair some cracks in that foundation.

He had a brilliant start last season, winning the starting spot in left field after he was promoted from triple-A Las Vegas in early May. He was hitting .346 before he hurt his shoulder while making a diving catch Aug. 10; swelling in the joint and an inflamed bicep tendon ruined his swing. He didn’t hit another home run.

He tried to tough it out, but he wasn’t himself, and he openly wondered whether the Dodgers would want him to return this season.

There’s no way they were going to give up on him, but Ethier wasn’t taking anything as a given.

“I’m not a contract player. I’m a young guy just playing, trying to earn a spot and keep a spot. There’s nothing guaranteed, playing my position,” he said Wednesday. “I’ve got to go out and earn a spot and fight for what I got.

“They’ve preferred, the last couple of years, a more veteran staff and team here. And it’s a case where they can fit in young players and fit the mold of what they’re trying to do. So that was sort of the sense back then.”

Now, he has a better sense of what he can be. For that, much credit goes to Mueller and fellow coach Manny Mota.

“Manny and I have just tried to listen to what he has to say about how he’s feeling and try to make improvements on some mechanics,” Mueller said. “What really helps is he’s such a great worker.

“He’s learning, and with 162 games plus playoffs, he’ll learn how to go about his business, have a nice routine and be consistent. So far, though, so good.”

Ethier has also benefited from the influence of veteran Luis Gonzalez, signed by the Dodgers last winter for outfield help.

Ethier was a fan of the Arizona Diamondbacks while he grew up in Phoenix and played at Arizona State, and he particularly admired Gonzalez. Ethier’s admiration has grown since they were thrown into the same locker room this season, a rare case of a hero not falling off a pedestal.

After being advised last season by Jeff Kent to watch the most successful older players, take something from each one and adapt it to his own game, Ethier zeroed in on Gonzalez.

“I’ve talked to him all year about the approach, the ups and downs, staying level-headed and even-keeled about things,” Ethier said. “The best is learning by example. He leads in this clubhouse.

“That’s how baseball players pass on knowledge to each other, I guess. Not only verbal, but some of the way you just present yourself in your life and walk around here.”

For Gonzalez, the respect is mutual, even though Ethier figures to take his job next season.

“I see a great young player,” Gonzalez said. “He’s still developing and learning.”

Ethier hasn’t gotten the attention lavished on youngsters Matt Kemp and James Loney, but he doesn’t mind. The only accolade he recalls earning was being named Texas League player of the year in 2005 after hitting .319 at Midland.

“No one probably ever heard of me before I got traded to this team,” Ethier said.

Those days of anonymity are over.

“I’m in a city where people have a lot of limelight, a lot of light shining in their face all the time and love the camera and stuff like that. Smile, grin, enjoy,” he said.

“There’s a lot of worse things I could be doing, I guess, than having people ask me questions.”

It beats competing for Texas League player of the year honors again.

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Helene Elliott can be reached at helene.elliott@latimes.com. To read previous columns by Elliott, go to latimes.com/elliott.