Dodgers catcher Russell Martin said he has “a little strain” in his lower abdomen on the right side, but he’s unsure how long he’ll be sidelined.

 

Martin underwent an MRI Saturday that he said ruled out anything more serious.

 

“They said I have a little strain somewhere, either the lower abdomen or the groin area in the muscles that connect the hip, abdomen and groin,” said Martin.

— Ken Gurnick 

Three contenders for the Dodgers’ fifth starter job saw action Saturday, with mixed results.

Eric Stults and Russ Ortiz threw a pair of scoreless innings each against the White Sox, but James McDonald was charged with three runs on five hits in two innings as he struggled with command of his off-speed pitches.

Swingman Jeff Weaver, who missed three days of workouts for the birth of his son, was charged with three runs on four hits and the loss in his first game action. — Ken Gurnick

Hall of Fame Manager and Special Advisor to the Chairman Tommy Lasorda will be inducted into the Cuban Sports Hall of Fame in Miami Sunday, his 16th Hall of Fame induction.  Lasorda played for Almendares and Marianao during Winter Ball in Cuba in the 1950s.  Lasorda joins Dodger Special Advisor to the GM, Latin American Operations Ralph Avila (1996) and Dodger scout Mike Brito (2005) in the Cuban Sports HOF. — Ken Gurnick

General manager Ned Colletti said newly signed pinch-hitter Garret Anderson did not arrive as scheduled Friday because of car problems, but was expected in Arizona Friday night and at practice Saturday. Anderson was signed Wednesday night to a Minor League contract and is the presumed front-runner for the left-handed pinch-hitting job, with Brian Giles and Doug Mientkiewicz the other candidates. Mientkiewicz had an RBI double and a walk in Friday’s exhibition opener. Giles did not play.

Anderson will wear No. 00, although Andre Ethier offered to give up his No. 16, saying Anderson had worn it for 16 years. — Ken Gurnick 

Fourth starter Vicente Padilla tossed two perfect innings and was followed by Ramon Ortiz’s two scoreless innings in the Dodgers’ 8-3 win over the White Sox in Friday’s exhibition opener. It was Padilla’s first game action since he was accidentally shot in the thigh during the offseason.

Manager Joe Torre also had praise for reliever Jon Link, who threw a perfect ninth inning. Link came to the Dodgers in the Juan Pierre trade and could work his way into contention for a bullpen role.

Offensively, Manny Ramirez had two singles in three at-bats, Reed Johnson had two RBIs and Jamey Carroll had two steals and a bases-loaded walk. Torre said Ramirez appeared to have balance at the plate “I didn’t see after he came back (from suspension) last year.”

Jason Repko came out of the game after being hit on the left wrist with a pitch, but afterward said he was fine. — Ken Gurnick

Now that the Dodgers have signed free agent Garret Anderson, the next unemployed veteran they are waiting out is right-handed pitcher Braden Looper, whose agent, Alan Hendricks, was making the rounds at Camelback Ranch-Glendale Thursday.

Looper was in the original foursome the Dodgers targeted over the winter for an innings-eating fourth starter – the others were Vicente Padilla, Joel Piniero and Jon Garland. When the music stopped, Piniero had signed a two-year deal with the Angels, the Dodgers had signed Padilla, Garland was taken by the Padres and Looper was left out of the loop.

Hendricks said Looper – 14-7 with a 5.22 ERA last year in Milwaukee — is doing all he can to stay in shape at home near Chicago, waiting for an acceptable offer.

The Dodgers now view Looper as a possible fifth-starter solution, but intend to pay him as one. They have no Major League roster spot available and apparently are willing to give Looper only a non-guaranteed Minor League contract.

Currently, the fifth starter spot is up for grabs among Eric Stults, Scott Elbert, James McDonald, Charlie Haeger, Carlos Monasterios, Ramon Ortiz and Russ Ortiz. — Ken Gurnick

Right-handed reliever Ricardo “Ricky” Rivas was the only player signed by the Dodgers for a Minor League job from 85 aspirants who participated in an open tryout at Camelback Ranch-Glendale Thursday. Rivas, 26, went 2-1 with a 4.82 ERA in 23 relief appearances last year for independent El Paso. He was a 48th round pick of Pittsburgh out of El Paso Community College in 2004 but did not sign and played two years at Oklahoma State. — Ken Gurnick

 

Two-time All-Star Brian Giles, one week into camp and on a Minor League contract, was asked if he was confident his chronic right knee can take the punishment of playing.

“Not as much as I’d like at this point,” Giles said. “It’s just okay. Obviously, I’ll give it a few more days. It’s not where I want it to be. I’ll see if it gets better with more conditioning and how that changes it.”

Making the team for Giles and Doug Mientkiewicz just got tougher with the Wednesday night signing of Garret Anderson. Those three are in the mix for the left-handed pinch-hitter role. — Ken Gurnick

Manny Ramirez will be the designated hitter for the Dodgers in Friday’s exhibition opener against the White Sox, manager Joe Torre said Thursday.

The Dodgers will be the visiting team at Camelback Ranch-Glendale, where they share the complex with the White Sox. The teams play again Saturday, with the Dodgers as the home team.

Torre said the club will again use the designated hitter in early games this Spring to get more at-bats for position players, even in games against National League clubs, as long as those clubs agree to it. — Ken Gurnick

The Dodgers’ goodwill trip to Taiwan next week is still on despite the 6.4 earthquake the island nation experienced Thursday, a club official said.

A split squad, led by outfielder Manny Ramirez is scheduled to play games against a Taiwanese All-Star team next Friday, Saturday and Sunday. — Ken Gurnick