After Wednesday’s practice, Dodgers players held their annual Spring Training meeting with officials of the Players Association. Among the expected topics of discussion were testing for human growth hormone and preparations for negotiating the next collective bargaining agreement. The current agreement expires after the 2011 season. — Ken Gurnick

The Dodgers’ Scouting and Player Development department holds its annual open tryout Thursday at Camelback Ranch – Glendale from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. The tryout will take place on the Minor League back fields and is open to all amateur free agents, 18 years and older, that are currently not enrolled in school or under contract with any other baseball club or organization. — Ken Gurnick

Venezuelan reliever Ronald Belisario’s visa problems apparently are in the hands of the U.S. government, manager Joe Torre indicated Wednesday. Belisario is late for Spring Training for the second consecutive year, but this time the delay is believed related to the driving under the influence charge that is pending against him from last summer. The Dodgers have no idea when Belisario will join the club and that’s a problem because the right-hander is out of options and cannot be sent down to the Minor Leagues without risking being claimed by another club.

“Nothing,” Torre said when asked if there was anothing new, “other than it’s tied up in Washington. I’m not sure he can do anything about it. I’m not saying that was always the case, but it is now.”

Management, counting on Belisario to fill a bullpen role, is annoyed that the pitcher didn’t take steps early in the offseason to avoid the mess. — Ken Gurnick

Left-handed reliever Brent Leach will miss a couple more days of throwing off the mound because of a sore groin muscle, manager Joe Torre said. Leach, who felt tightness Sunday when the grounds were wet from rain, has been able to play catch on flat ground. Leach was called up from Double-A Chattanooga May 2 and appeared in 38 games for the Dodgers last year with a 5.75 ERA. He had a 2.95 ERA in his first 31 games, 31.50 in his last seven games. He was sent to Triple-A July 30 and struggled the rest of the year to a 6.75 ERA in Albuquerque. — Ken Gurnick

Infielder Ivan DeJesus Jr. walked away from Tuesday’s “B” game under his own power, which was quite an improvement from the “B” game a year ago when DeJesus was carted off the field with a broken left leg.

He singled in a pair of runs and stole a base against the White Sox in a confidence booster for the son of the former Dodger.

“I’ve got to get that thing out of my system,” DeJesus said of the lingering mental doubts he has about the injury, which had limited his running until a month ago. “I just need to play and play and play.” — Ken Gurnick

Vice president Kim Ng has signed every Dodger not eligible for salary arbitration, including likely Opening Day starter Clayton Kershaw and reliever Ronald Belisario, who remains AWOL with visa problems.

The entire list of signings: Belisario, Ivan DeJesus, Blake DeWitt, Scott Elbert, A.J. Ellis, Javy Guerra, Charlie Haeger, Chin-lung Hu, Kenley Jansen, Kershaw, Brent Leach, Jon Link, James McDonald, Lucas May, Carlos Monasterios, Xavier Paul, Trayvon Robinson, Travis Schlichting, Eric Stults, Ramon Troncoso, Cory Wade and Armando Zerpa. — Ken Gurnick

 

Dodgers second baseman Ronnie Belliard, one veteran who said he is making next week’s trip to Taiwan (and who lockers next to Manny Ramirez), said on Monday that Ramirez would make the trip.

Then he said he didn’t know.

Ramirez still would not issue a decision, although baseball sources claim Ramirez has decided to go with the club for the three-game goodwill series. Ramirez has flip-flopped several times.

The club is expected to release the official travel roster Monday or Tuesday. — Ken Gurnick

One way to guage which pitchers have made an impression on manager Joe Torre’s staff so far in camp is the list of those who will follow starter Vicente Padilla in Friday’s exhibition opener against the White Sox.

They are: Ramon Ortiz, Charlie Haeger, Luis Ayala, Scott Dohmann and Jon Link. Ortiz, Ayala and Dohmann are former Major Leaguers fighting their way back. Haeger is the knuckleballer who pitched well in limited opportunities with the Dodgers last year. Link is a hard-throwing reliever who came to the Dodgers from the White Sox in the Juan Pierre trade.

The same applies to Tuesday’s “B” game, when Eric Stults will be followed by Travis Schlichting, Brent Leach, Carlos Monasterios, Armando Zerpa, Javy Guerra and Kenley Jansen.

Ortiz and Haeger are among the candidates for the fifth starter spot. Ayala, Dohmann and Link will likely fight for one of the last bullpen spots, although the continued absence of Ronald Belisario because of visa problems could unexpectedly open up an additional bullpen job. Torre said he’s heard nothing new about Belisario’s status.

— Ken Gurnick

Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax has been in camp this morning. He’s worked with right-handers Chad Billingsley and Josh Linblom and left-handers Eric Stults and Scott Elbert in the bullpen area. He also addressed the entire pitching staff in a morning meeting.— Ken Gurnick