Tagged: Russell Martin

Martin Homers

Dodgers catcher Russell Martin, who said he would try this year not to be as homer-happy as he was last year, homered off Matt Cain in his first Spring at-bat in Thursday’s game against the Giants. — Ken Gurnick

Torre’s Injury Update

Here’s a bulletin — pitcher Yhency Brazoban has a sore shoulder and can’t throw. Brazoban hasn’t been healthy since 2005 because of elbow and shoulder surgeries. Manager Joe Torre also said catcher Russell Martin continues to improve from a sore foot; Cory Wade has responded to a cortisone injection in his shouder and might resume throwing Sunday; Travis Schlichting’s stiff back has improved and he will begin tossing. — Ken Gurnick

Dodgers Spa–Glendale

Not exactly. But manager Joe Torre said one of the “big parts” of moving into an Arizona training facility for the Dodgers is having a year-round base where injured players can rehabilitate, instead of remaining with the Major League club and diverting the medical staff’s attention away from the active roster. Torre said it worked well for the Yankees with their year-round complex in Tampa, Fla. The Dodgers will have a full-time medical coordinator and therapist on site year-round at Camelback Ranch-Glendale.

Torre said the tentative plan is to have Jason Schmidt pitch in an intrasquad game Jan. 23. Torre said after watching Schmidt throw two bullpen sessions that he “appears 100 percent healthy.” Schmidt never pitched in a Spring game last year.

The club’s exhibition schedule has three days off, but Torre already decided that’s too many and is trying to add a game March 2.

Torre said he wants to limit Russell Martin to 140 games behind the plate this year, which won’t be much of a breather from last year, when he appeared in 149 games as catcher (138 starts). — Ken Gurnick