Billingsley is questionable
Examined by team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Saturday morning, Chad Billingsley remained questionable for his scheduled start Wednesday in San Francisco.
Billingsley, who strained a left hamstring Friday night, will throw on flat ground Monday and will be re-evaluated by the team’s medical staff. His previous start in Atlanta was cut short by a cramp in his right hamstring.
Billingsley didn’t appear in the Dodgers’ clubhouse before the game Saturday night but didn’t sound overly concerned late Friday.
“It doesn’t seem too serious, but some little things linger,” Billingsley said.
He said he was hurt when he singled in the sixth inning.
“I ran down the first base line and halfway down, I felt it grab,” he said. “No good thoughts were going through my mind at that point.”
Billingsley, who gave up only one earned run in the first six innings, tried to warm up for the seventh inning.
“I went out there and tried to throw one pitch and I couldn’t,” he said.
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Belisario in, Elbert out
Right-hander Ronald Belisario, who went on the disabled list on July 8 because of a strained elbow, was activated. To make room for Belisario, the Dodgers optioned Scott Elbert to triple-A Albuquerque.
Belisario declared himself 100% after pitching twice for Class-A Inland Empire as part of a minor league rehabilitation assignment.
“I have my control,” Belisario said. “I’m really anxious. Every time they called the bullpen [in recent weeks], I wanted to get in the game.”
Elbert was scheduled to make his first major league start today, but the plan was scrapped after he had to pitch in the 12th inning of the Dodgers’ 9-5 loss to the Braves on Friday night.
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Blake sits; Abreu starts
Casey Blake was out of the starting lineup with a minor hand injury.
Blake was originally hurt lifting weights in a postgame workout in Atlanta.
“It’s something that’s kind of lingering,” Blake said. “Maybe another day or two will kind of knock it out.”
Blake said he wanted to play, but Manager Joe Torre forced him to sit. Blake ended a 101 at-bat homerless streak Friday night and was hitting .364 with five RBIs in the five games he played in this homestand.
“He tends to be a little smarter than most,” Blake said of his manager. “I’m kind of hard-headed sometimes.”
With Blake unavailable, Tony Abreu started at third base.
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Looking abroad
Dodgers scouting director Logan White was in the Dominican Republic on Friday to get a look at Cuban defectors Yasser Gomez, an outfielder, and right-handers Yadel Marti and Juan Yasser Serrano, who were recently declared free agents.
Marti, 30, who twice led Cuba’s Serie Nacional in winning percentage and made the all-tournament team in the first World Baseball Classic in 2006 after throwing 12 1/3 scoreless innings, is considered the top prospect of the three. White declined to discuss the showcase, but other scouts who were in attendance said Marti, who defected in December, was unimpressive, throwing 85-89 mph before pulling a groin.
White said the Dodgers also plan to check out left-hander Aroldis Chapman, who is in Spain after defecting from the Cuban national team in July. Chapman, 21, is a two-time Cuban league strikeout champion whose fastball was clocked at 102 mph during the second WBC last spring.
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Times staff writer Kevin Baxter contributed to this report.
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latimes.com/sports
Garret Anderson doesn’t look back
After the Angels declined to pick up the veteran outfielder’s $14-million option last fall, he remains a productive player for the Braves.
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DODGERS TODAY
VS. ATLANTA
When: 1 p.m.
Where: Dodger Stadium.
On the air: TV: Prime Ticket; Radio: 790, 930.
Pitchers: Eric Stults vs. Javier Vazquez.
Update: The Dodgers’ original starter, Hiroki Kuroda, had his next turn in the rotation pushed back a day to Monday. His first replacement, left-hander Scott Elbert, had to be scrapped because he pitched in the 12th inning of the Dodgers’ 9-5 loss on Friday night. Manager Joe Torre had said the Dodgers could acquire a starter in a waiver deal in time for today. “It could be somebody from the outside,” he said. After the game, they decided on Stults, who had been at Albuquerque.
-- Dylan Hernandez
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