Mueller will try for individual effort

It appeared to be all players milling around during batting practice Friday at Dodger Stadium.

But tucked among them stood Bill Mueller, still young enough to hop in between players and take some cuts of his own without anybody noticing.

Mueller, 36, was named the Dodgers’ interim hitting coach Thursday after the team fired Eddie Murray. He said his first job is to build a rapport with each player.

“Each guy is their own hitter, so I have to find a way to connect with them and their style,” said Mueller, who retired from playing last year.

Mueller, who had been in the team’s front office, said he hesitated before taking the job, knowing it would take time away from his family. He is not sure whether he wants the job permanently.

“It’s hard to say,” he said. “I really haven’t looked beyond this. Everything happened really fast. This is a bit of a change, and we’ll see how it goes. My family is my No. 1 priority.”

The Dodgers were batting .261 and averaging 4.36 runs a game coming into Friday’s contest.

“These guys know what they are doing,” said Mueller, adding he doesn’t feel any pressure to immediately improve the team’s power numbers.

Murray is known to sometimes be aloof, but several players said Friday they had had no communication problems with the Hall of Famer.

“If a decision has to be made, you make it and keep going,” outfielder Andre Ethier said. “The team is playing well, and we can’t have anything distract us.”

Manager Grady Little said “only time will tell” how the players adjust to the change. He added that coach Manny Mota would resume traveling with the team on trips to aid hitters.

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Chris Withrow wore a guest media pass to gain entrance to Dodger Stadium on Friday. Eventually, he hopes he won’t need one.

Withrow, the team’s top pick in the amateur draft, signed a contract for about $1.35 million and the right-hander will report to Class-A Vero Beach in the Gulf Coast League next week.

The 20th overall selection was 8-1 with a 1.32 earned-run average and 90 strikeouts in his senior year at Midland Christian High in Texas.

“I’m extremely happy,” said Withrow, 18. “This has been an unbelievable experience from beginning to end.”

At 6 feet 3, 195 pounds, Withrow is comparable to a young John Smoltz with a similar delivery and mechanics, said Logan White, the team’s assistant general manager for scouting.

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Little said he would juggle the Dodgers’ rotation in their next series against the Blue Jays to give Derek Lowe an extra two days’ rest.

Brad Penny, Hong-Chih Kuo and Jason Schmidt will pitch at Toronto. Lowe will pitch in the team’s first game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, giving him a full week off between starts.

Coming into Friday’s game, Lowe was seventh in the league with 95 1/3 innings pitched.

“Any break for his arm at this time of year will be nothing but good for him,” Little said.

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Reliever Yhency Brazoban experienced pain in his throwing shoulder during a bullpen session and is scheduled to have it reexamined Monday.... Chin-hui Tsao, out because of a strained right shoulder, threw from the mound and reported no pain.

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jonathan.abrams@latimes.com