Dodgers’ Blake Dewitt returns home to Missouri

Reporting from St. Louis — 

Blake DeWitt finally made it home.

DeWitt grew up in Sikeston, a small town in southeast Missouri that is about a 2 ½-hour drive from St. Louis. He used to attend Cardinals games as a kid on weekends.

“It’s definitely exciting,” DeWitt said. “It’s where I grew up.”

While DeWitt played in 148 major league games over the last two seasons, none of them were in St. Louis, as he happened to be in the minors the two times the Dodgers visited the Cardinals over that period. He didn’t make the Dodgers’ playoff roster last season and missed the National League Division Series against the Cardinals.

So even though his place on the Dodgers’ roster seemed secure, DeWitt said in the weeks leading up to the St. Louis trip, “I’m not there yet.”

DeWitt said he left 15 tickets for family members and friends Thursday, when he was one for three with a double. Cheers were heard in Busch Stadium when his name was announced over the public-address system.

DeWitt sat Friday, as Manager Joe Torre continued to start utilityman Jamey Carroll in his place at second base on days the Dodgers face a left-handed pitcher.

“I guess we’ll do that most of the time,” Torre said. “I’m not saying we’re going to do that all of the time. We feel that Blake is going to get a lot more playing time. The goal is to make sure he gets more of the playing time. If you platoon, he’s going to get a bulk of the playing time.”

The left-handed DeWitt is batting .270 on the season, .222 against left-handers. Carroll went into Friday batting .260 against left-handers.

Special ticket offer

Starting their next home stand, the Dodgers will be offering field- and loge-level tickets to children 14 and younger for only $5.

In the two hours leading up to every home game, fans will be able to buy as many as two $5 children’s tickets for every field- or loge-level ticket purchased by an adult at the Dodger Stadium box offices.

“The thought is that it may spark our walk-up attendance,” spokesman Josh Rawitch said.

Rawitch said the promotion wasn’t an indication that the Dodgers were disappointed with their ticket sales, pointing to how the Dodgers have a higher reported attendance than they did through 45 home games last season.

Reported attendance counts the number of tickets distributed, not the actual number of fans who entered the ballpark.

Johnson on the mend

The condition of sidelined fourth outfielder Reed Johnson’s back grew in significance Friday, when Manny Ramirez had to leave the game in the middle of the first inning because of tightness in his right calf.

Johnson, who is on the 15-day disabled list, said he isn’t worried, pointing out that he had similar problems in each of the last two seasons. He said his back problems stem from the operation he had in 2007.

“It’s similar to the post-surgery type muscle spasms I’ve had in the past,” Johnson said. “There’s no involvement down in the legs. There’s no type of nerve issue, which is good for me.”

Johnson is eligible to be activated July 24, but said he would like to play in a couple of minor league games before then.

dylan.hernandez@latimes.com