Back home, DeWitt is player of month

It has been a fairy-tale spring for Dodgers rookie Blake DeWitt, who played his way into the opening-day lineup, singled off a three-time All-Star in his first big league at-bat and wound up getting the month named in his honor back home in Sikeston, Mo.

“It’s crazy,” he said of the last two weeks.

But with regular third baseman Nomar Garciaparra starting his minor league rehab assignment Saturday while backup Andy La Roche was taking his second consecutive day of batting practice, DeWitt may soon be on his way back to the minors, his coach having turned back into a pumpkin.

A first-round pick in the 2004 draft, the 22-year-old had never played above double A before this season. But when the Dodgers’ top three third basemen landed on the disabled list, DeWitt was summoned from minor league camp and was so impressive he made the team.

That was big news in Sikeston, which has never had a native son play in the major leagues. So a huge crowd gathered at a restaurant to watch the Dodgers’ opener on ESPN and Mayor Mike Marshall convened a special meeting to declare April “Blake DeWitt Month.”

“Someone sent me a newspaper clipping. I opened it up and looked at it and I said, ‘What?’ ” confessed the painfully humble DeWitt, who made a spectacular fielding play in the sixth inning Saturday and, with a pair of doubles, has reached base in 10 of the Dodgers’ 11 games. “I was a little shocked. I thought it was a pretty good honor.”

Garciaparra, meanwhile, started at third base and batted second Saturday for triple-A Las Vegas in Sacramento, going 0 for 3. He walked, grounded out, lined out to center and flied out to left.

If everything goes well, Garciaparra, who sustained a microfracture to a bone in his right hand five weeks ago, could come off the disabled list by the weekend.

LaRoche, who had surgery to repair a damaged ligament in his right thumb, could begin a rehab assignment before the end of the month.

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Manager Joe Torre has reworked his starting rotation, sending right-hander Esteban Loaiza to the bullpen -- at least temporarily -- and giving Loaiza’s next scheduled start Tuesday against Pittsburgh to left-hander Hong-Chih Kuo.

Kuo hasn’t given up a run in 6 2/3 innings this season, including a 3 2/3 -inning effort in relief of Chad Billingsley last week in Arizona.

“It’s nice to have a lefty in the starting rotation,” Torre said. “What I saw from him the other day, he threw a lot of strikes. Looked very determined. [I’m] just curious to see if that’s going to work as a starter.”

Loaiza, who has pitched in relief only 38 times in 369 career appearances, was clearly disappointed with Torre’s move and said he wasn’t told why it was made.

“It caught me off guard,” said Loaiza, 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA in 6 2/3 innings. “It’s going to be a new thing.”

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Torre held Jeff Kent out of Saturday’s lineup, starting Chin-lung Hu at second base. Kent is hitting .111 lifetime against Chris Young, who started for the Padres. . . . James Loney’s first-inning double gave him a hit in all 11 games this season.

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kevin.baxter@latimes.com