--RHP James McDonald's status as a member of the starting rotation clearly is in question after he failed for the third time in four starts to go five innings. Dodgers manager Joe Torre confirmed that Jeff Weaver, who pitched four shutout innings after relieving McDonald on Thursday night, is a candidate to replace him in the rotation. McDonald is 1-1 with an 8.16 in five overall appearances, and he has walked 14 batters in 14 1/3 innings.
--RHP Tanyon Sturtze, who had four saves but a 6.14 ERA in eight appearances for Class AAA Albuquerque, was released Friday. Sturtze asked the organization to release him after Jeff Weaver, another veteran right-hander who was pitching on a minor-league contract, was promoted to the majors Thursday. The Dodgers actually released Sturtze last September, but he remained with the club for the rest of the season as a third bullpen catcher, then was re-signed to a minor-league contract Jan. 28. --LHP Shawn Estes, who had such a poor spring training that the Dodgers basically allowed him to go to Class AAA Albuquerque as a favor rather than releasing him, suddenly has pitched his way onto the organizational radar. In four starts for Albuquerque, including his six shutout innings Tuesday at New Orleans, Estes is 1-1 with a 2.37 ERA and has walked just four batters in 19 innings. Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti conceded that Estes, like Albuquerque teammate Eric Milton Weaver, is now a viable candidate to help the big-league club at some point this season.
BY THE NUMBERS: .480 -- Combined batting average for Dodgers reserves Brad Ausmus and Mark Loretta, two veteran players and former everyday guys on the down sides of their careers who have accepted bench roles in their first season with the club. Ausmus, who turned 40 a couple of weeks ago, is hitting .417 (5-for-12). Loretta, 37, is hitting .538 (7-for-13), including five hits in seven pinch-hit at-bats.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "A good night for the old guys. It was past our bedtime, and we had already missed the buffet." -- Dodgers C Brad Ausmus, after delivering two critical hits in the late innings of a three-hour, 45-minute marathon on April 24 at Colorado. Ausmus had scored one tie-breaking run when he was driven in by fellow "old guy" Mark Loretta in the eighth inning, and Ausmus drove in another tie-breaking run in the ninth that ultimately held up as the winner.
