Saito happy in first outing

VERO BEACH -- Takashi Saito came away pleased with his first outing of the spring after allowing just a hit in a scoreless inning of relief in the Dodgers’ 11-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday afternoon in the first game of a split-squad doubleheader at Holman Stadium.

In the second game, Jason Repko, Tony Abreu and Delwyn Young hit solo home runs, Wilson Betemit collected his first hit of the spring and starter Eric Stults pitched three shutout innings to spark the Dodgers to a 10-0 win over the Florida Marlins in Jupiter.

“I was back on a mound, I was back pitching in a Dodger uniform,” a smiling Saito said through interpreter Scott Akasaki. “My calf was healed and I was able to pitch without limitations.”

Saito, who went 6-2 with a 2.07 earned-run average and 24 saves for the Dodgers last season, has been slowed by a sore right calf all spring. So when the right-hander took the mound to start the fifth inning, Dodgers trainers told him to take it easy.

That advice was forgotten after the first pitch, which Cardinals outfielder Skip Schumaker grounded to second.

“My reactions sort of took over and I jumped off the mound like I was going to cover first. And there were no problems at all. I felt very relieved,” said Saito, who threw 10 pitches. “It was actually a really good outing because there were a bunch of different situations. I had to pitch with a runner on second, I had to pitch from the stretch. I had to go cover third base. So there was a lot of good things to test my body.”

Brad Penny started for the Dodgers and used the outing to work on his off-speed pitches, throwing 14 curveballs and nine changeups in two innings. He seemed unconcerned about giving up six runs and seven hits, including a towering two-run home run by Chris Duncan.

“If it happened in April ... I’d probably want to shoot myself,” Penny said. “But you’ve just got to go out there and work on stuff. It was positive because I threw a lot of changeups and I felt good.”

Furcal has a theory

Shortstop Rafael Furcal hasn’t played winter ball in his native Dominican Republic since signing with the Dodgers in 2005 and says that may have contributed to the arm problems that have plagued him the last two springs.

“I think I’m taking too much rest,” he said. “I’m out of the action. [Before] I was ready coming into spring training because the season finishes over there in February.”

Furcal said he played six winters for Santo Domingo’s Escogido during his nine years in the Atlanta organization and reported for spring training “ready to go ... in shape.” But a shoulder problem, similar to one he had last spring, has kept him out since last week’s Grapefruit League opener.

He took soft-toss batting practice under the watchful eye of a trainer Wednesday and is expected to do some light throwing today. He could be back in the lineup -- probably as a designated hitter -- by the weekend.

Roster cuts coming

Manager Grady Little said he could begin cutting the roster in the next couple of days. “We know we can’t operate much deeper into spring training with 58 players,” he said.... If the Boston Red Sox stay with their current pitching rotation, Japanese sensation Daisuke Matsuzaka will start against the Dodgers on March 16 in Vero Beach. The game is already a sellout.

kevin.baxter@latimes.com