Loney is back in the majors

James Loney would be forgiven if he mistook the Dodgers’ clubhouse for that of the Las Vegas 51s.

Carrying a wide grin after being recalled, Loney first greeted Matt Kemp and Tony Abreu, prospects who, like him, had started the season in the minors.

Loney, a first baseman, will spell Nomar Garciaparra and also play the corner outfield spots. After he hit .414 in 28 games in spring training, it was a surprise he did not make the opening-day roster.

“Any competitive person would have been upset,” said Loney, who singled in his first at-bat Sunday. “If you are not upset, you’re probably not tough enough to play this game. Once I got down there, the could-haves, should-haves kind of went away.”

Loney etched his name in the memory of Dodgers fans when he went four for five with two home runs and nine RBIs in a September game last year against Colorado.

“We certainly know what he did for us last season,” said Dodgers Manager Grady Little. “When we brought him back up at the end of the season, he put together some great games and he had a great spring training for us. This kid is ready to play in the major leagues.”

At Las Vegas, Loney batted .279 in 58 games with one home run and 32 RBIs.

With Loney and Kemp in the big leagues, presumably not to just sit on the bench, it creates a surplus of outfielders with the duo joining Juan Pierre, Luis Gonzalez and Andre Ethier.

“We are coming into a point of the season where players are going to be needing more time off and when you can allow time off for quality players like this, that says a lot for the organization,” Little said. “Everyone is going to get lot of playing time from here on out.”

To make room for Loney, the Dodgers designated Brady Clark for assignment. The team has 10 days to put Clark on waivers, trade or release him. He was acquired along with cash considerations for pitcher Elmer Dessens in late March.

“I think it’s a blessing in disguise,” said Clark, who hit .224 in 58 at-bats. “At least I hope it is. There’s 29 other teams out there, and hopefully there will be a place out there where I can get some at-bats.”

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The jigsaw puzzle of the Dodgers lineup continued Sunday.

With Garciaparra and Jeff Kent sitting, Russell Martin batted third and Gonzalez filled the cleanup spot. Wilson Betemit hit fifth, followed by Loney. Pierre was slotted eighth for the second straight game.

“It’s a crapshoot everyday,” Kent said. “That’s what baseball’s all about.”

Garciaparra has played in 62 of the Dodgers’ 63 games. Kent has played in 60. Little said that both would receive more days off as the summer wears on.

“At this point of the season, these day games after night games are looking like they are coming more often, more frequently,” Little said.

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Derek Lowe leads the league in complete games with three but has lost each time. The good news is he shouldn’t fret about joining John Coleman among the all-time complete-game losers. In 1883, Coleman threw 59 complete games for the Philadelphia Quakers in 61 starts. His record? 12-48.

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Reliever Yhency Brazoban, sidelined because of a strained right shoulder, is scheduled to throw a bullpen session today.... Martin stole second base in the first inning for his 10th steal, matching his total from last season.

jonathan.abrams@latimes.com