Monday’s Dodgers Lineup

Matt Kemp           CF

Andre Ethier         RF

Manny Ramirez    DH

James Loney       1B

Russell Martin      C

Mark Loretta        3B

Blake DeWitt       2B

Xavier Paul           LF

Chin-lung Hu        SS

Chad Billingsley    P

27        Matt Kemp                              CF

12        Brad Ausmus                            C

16        Andre Ethier (L)                       RF

7          James Loney (L)                       1B

5          Mark Loretta                            3B

33        Blake DeWitt (L)                      2B

3          Delwyn Young (S)                    DH

75        Xavier Paul (L)                         LF

14        Juan Castro*                            SS

 

49        Claudio Vargas                       RHP

Three Dodgers expected to make the Major League bullpen pitched in an early Minor League intrasquad game Thursday. Guillermo Mota allowed two runs in two innings, with four hits, a strikeout and walk. He made 36 pitches. Hong-Chih Kuo had a 22-pitch scoreless inning with a single, walk and strikeout. Cory Wade was the most efficient with an 11-pitch 1-2-3 inning. — Ken Gurnick

Major League relievers Hong-Chih Kuo, Cory Wade and Guillermo Mota will pitch in a Minor League game Thursday at 11 a.m.. Kuo and Wade, both sidelined the first two weeks with sore arms, will pitch one inning each. Mota will pitch two innings. Having them pitch in a Minor League game provides to get their arms in shape, while saving innings in Thursday’s regular exhibition game against the Rockies for pitchers still battling for roster spots, including Eric Stults, Stephen Randolph, Jeff Weaver and Ramon Troncoso. — Ken Gurnick

Dodgers manager Joe Torre Wednesday named Japanese right-hander Hiroki Kuroda to start Opening Day April 6 against the Padres in San Diego. Kuroda will be followed in the rotation by Randy Wolf, Chad Billingsley, Clayton Kershaw and “the mystery person,” said Torre, referring to the fifth starter to be named. That alignment will alternate between right-handers and left-handers over the first four games. Billingsley will start the Dodgers’ home opener April 13 against San Francisco. — Ken Gurnick

15         Rafael Furcal (S)            SS

30         Orlando Hudson (S)        2B

16         Andre Ethier (L)             RF

7          James Loney (L)            1B

23         Casey Blake                  3B

27         Matt Kemp                    CF

9          Juan Pierre (L)               LF

44         A.J. Ellis                       C

21         Randy Wolf (L)               LHP

Manny Ramirez, who left Sunday’s game after aggravating his hamstring, did not participate in morning workouts with the rest of the club and was not in the lineup for either of the club’s split-squad road games. Ramirez hit in the cage, but much of the day was to be spent receiving treatment. The club still believes his injury is relatively minor, but as a precautionary measure he’s likely to be brought back slowly to avoid a more serious injury. — Ken Gurnick

Matt Kemp              CF

Brad Ausmus           C

Andre Ethier            RF

James Loney           1B

Casey Blake            3B

Valentino Pascucci  DH

Jason Repko            LF

Juan Castro             SS

Tony Abreu              2B

Jason Schmidt          P

Rafael Furcal      SS

Orlando Hudson  2B

Russell Martin     C

Mark Loretta       1B

Blake DeWitt      3B

Juan Pierre         CF

Delwyn Young     DH

Xavier Paul          RF

Mitch Jones        LF

Hiroki Kuroda      P

That’s the title of Michael D’Antonio’s just-released book about the Dodgers move from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, and it doubles as a biography of the man who made it happen, the late owner Walter O’Malley. D’Antonio was granted an all-access pass into the archives of the O’Malley family and with thorough research reconstructed the political and economic factors triggering the move that brought baseball west and, 50 years later, landed O’Malley in the Hall of Fame. Dodger history buffs and those just curious about the controversial owner will enjoy it. — Ken Gurnick