Manny Ramirez lets his bat do the talking

Manny Ramirez didn’t talk after hitting a home run and taking a curtain call in the Dodgers’ home opener Tuesday and he didn’t talk Wednesday, either.

“No, papi,” Ramirez said when approached in the clubhouse.

Ramirez stood in silence when asked about the way he was received by the home crowd and eventually walked away to take the field for batting practice, but Manager Joe Torre guessed that the standing ovation that followed his first long ball of the season helped the suddenly withdrawn outfielder’s confidence.

“That never hurts anybody’s ego,” Torre said. “That’s certainly a boost, especially in the home opener when everybody’s on your side. I’m not sure that the crowd was ever against him at home, but I know for his own self-confidence, it was important.”

Ramirez’s third-inning solo home run put the Dodgers ahead, 2-1, and was the first of four long balls hit by the team in a 9-5 victory over Arizona. Ramirez, who is in the final year of a two-year, $45-million contract, began the Dodgers’ game Wednesday hitting .304 with five runs batted in.

Particularly because of Ramirez’s substandard form at the end of last season, General Manager Ned Colletti said it was important for him to have the kind of start he has had.

Arizona Manager A.J. Hinch said he could tell Ramirez was in fine form because of his approach at the plate.

“When he’s using the middle of the field, it’s a tough sign for the opponent,” Hinch said. “Even in the at-bat when he struck out against [Blaine] Boyer [in the eighth inning], he was trying to hit the ball to right center, trying to stay in the middle of the field. He’s dangerous when he is using the whole field.”

Surgery for Ausmus

For his 41st birthday Wednesday, backup catcher Brad Ausmus said he received a cake and some presents.

“And surgery in the morning,” he said.

Ausmus, who was transferred to the 15-day disabled list for the first time in his 17-year career last week, is scheduled to undergo surgery for a herniated disk in his back.

He is expected to be out for at least three months.

Ausmus, who has previously stated this could be his last season, said he intends to play this year.

“I’m not folding up shop,” he said. “I signed a contract with the Dodgers to play a full season and despite the fact that I will be injured for part of that, I will fulfill the contract unless they tell me to get out of here.”

Referring to the limited number of starts he makes as Russell Martin’s backup, Ausmus joked that he would probably sit out only seven or eight games.

Ausmus said he intends to travel with the Dodgers for road games as soon as he is physically able to do so in order to help Martin and new backup A.J. Ellis prepare for games.

Kuo update

Left-hander Hong-Chih Kuo could be activated in time for the Dodgers’ upcoming nine-game trip that starts Tuesday, Torre said.

Kuo will pitch an inning Thursday for Class-A Inland Empire as part of a minor league rehabilitation assignment. If he comes out of the game without any problems, he will pitch in San Bernardino over the weekend.

dylan.hernandez@latimes.com