LaRoche is sent to the minors

Instead of subjecting Andy LaRoche to a decreased role in the wake of the acquisition of Casey Blake, the Dodgers decided to option the 24-year-old third baseman to triple-A Las Vegas on Sunday and activated slumping pinch-hitting specialist Mark Sweeney from the 15-day disabled list.

The demotion of LaRoche, who was hitting .203 in 59 at-bats, came a day after rookie third baseman Blake DeWitt was sent to Las Vegas.

“We wanted LaRoche and DeWitt to get at-bats,” Manager Joe Torre said. “That’s what was behind the decision.”

General Manager Ned Colletti said LaRoche and DeWitt wouldn’t be competing for playing time in triple-A the way they were in the majors because LaRoche is slated to spend some time at first base and DeWitt at second. Both will get opportunities to get at-bats as the designated hitter, Colletti added.

For Sweeney, who was sidelined because of a strained hamstring, his activation marked the end of a stint on the disabled list that started July 4. Sweeney had a four-game rehabilitation assignment in triple-A on July 10-13, but was inactive between then and Sunday, when he pinch-hit in the seventh inning.

Sweeney struck out, lowering his batting average to .092.

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Wounded knee

Nomar Garciaparra left the Dodgers’ 2-0 victory over the Washington Nationals on Sunday after the fifth inning because of irritation in his left knee. He will be reevaluated today.

Garciaparra said he twisted the knee when Lastings Milledge slid into him while he was covering third base on a third-to-first-to-third double play.

“It feels all right right now,” Garciaparra said. “There’s no swelling right now. Hopefully, there’s no swelling tomorrow. If there is swelling, we’ll deal with it.

“I’m not too worried.”

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Popular Pierre?

Leadoff hitter Juan Pierre was two for four, making him four for 12 over the three-game series against the Nationals. The games were Pierre’s first since he sprained a ligament in his left knee June 29.

“It’s good to get the first at-bats out of the way,” said Pierre, who scored three runs in the series, including one Sunday.

Pierre, who played two rehab games in Las Vegas last week, said he didn’t feel particularly out of sync at the plate.

“I’ve had close to 300 at-bats this year,” he said.

Pierre said that when Angels shortstop Erick Aybar fell on his left leg on the play that resulted in him landing on the disabled list for the first time in his career, he thought he was seriously injured.

“Before I got the MRI, I felt like I was done,” he said.

Trainer Stan Conte said he expected Pierre to be out for at least six weeks, but Pierre was able to return in less than four, something Conte attributed to the left fielder’s superb conditioning.

“It makes all the early mornings when I didn’t want to get up worth it,” Pierre said.

Not the most popular player in part because the five-year, $44-million contract he signed prior to last season was deemed by some to be excessive, Pierre said he was uncertain how he would be received by the fans at Dodger Stadium when he returned to the lineup Friday. To his pleasant surprise, he received a warm applause.

Asked whether he thought he was starting to gain the fans’ acceptance, Pierre replied, “By the reaction, it felt that way. But I’m going to go out there and play my game. I know some people don’t like it. I can’t control that.”

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dylan.hernandez@latimes.com