--LHP Eric Stults will be recalled from Class AAA Albuquerque Saturday and will start that night's game at Arizona. Stults is taking both the roster spot and rotation spot of Hiroki Kuroda, who is being placed on the disabled list. Stults had been scheduled to make his first start of the season Friday night against Omaha, but he was scratched just before game time and replaced by Giancarlo Alvarado.

--3B Casey Blake hit a two-run homer off Arizona RHP Jon Garland, but he otherwise continues to struggle. Blake has two hits, both home runs, in 16 at-bats this season and has struck out eight times in 20 plate appearances. Blake said before the game that he has a history of starting slowly, and his .217 career average for April coming into this season bears that out.

--RHP Ramon Troncoso was forced to pitch a career-high 3 2/3 innings because of James McDonald's early exit from the game. Although Troncoso gave up a run on five hits, manager Joe Torre commended his effort after Troncoso allowed Torre to avoid burning up a bullpen that already has pitched 17 2/3 innings this season. Troncoso's previous longest outing was a three-inning stint against Washington last Aug. 28.

--C Russell Martin had the night off for the first time this season. Martin has been struggling and is hitting just .125 (2-for-16) with one extra-base hit. Manager Joe Torre said he looked good in an early batting-practice session, though, adding that Martin's swing was noticeably more level.

--C Brad Ausmus made his first start for the Dodgers, becoming along with Troncoso the final two players on the roster to appear in a game this season. Ausmus went 2-for-4 at the plate just four days shy of his 40th birthday. Ausmus, a three-time Gold Glove winner who lives in San Diego, said he would have retired this winter if he couldn't have signed with either the Dodgers or Padres.

--OF Delwyn Young went 0-for-3 with a strikeout as the designated hitter in the first game of his rehabilitation assignment with Class AAA Albuquerque. Young will play the outfield for the first time Saturday against Omaha. Young's rehab figures to last the full 20 days because he is out of minor-league options and the Dodgers don't appear to have a spot for him on their 25-man roster.

MEDICAL WATCH:

RHP Hiroki Kuroda (strained left oblique) was expected to be placed on the 15-day disabled list April 11. The Dodgers don't think the injury is serious.

RHP Claudio Vargas (right elbow tendinitis) went on the 60-day disabled list retroactive to April 6.

OF Delwyn Young (right elbow impingement) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 27. He began a rehab assignment with Class AAA Albuquerque on April 10.

RHP Jason Schmidt (right shoulder surgery) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 30. He threw a game in extended spring training on April 8, and he will pitch there again before starting a minor league rehab assignment.

ROTATION:

1. LHP Randy Wolf

2. RHP Chad Billingsley

3. LHP Clayton Kershaw

4. RHP James McDonald

5. LHP Eric Stults

BULLPEN:

RHP Jonathan Broxton (closer)

LHP Hong-Chih Kuo

RHP Guillermo Mota

LHP Will Ohman

RHP Ronald Belisario

RHP Ramon Troncoso

RHP Cory Wade

LINEUP:

1. SS Rafael Furcal

2. 2B Orlando Hudson

3. LF Manny Ramirez

4. RF Andre Ethier

5. C Russell Martin

6. 1B James Loney

7. CF Matt Kemp

8. 3B Casey Blake

RESERVES:

C Brad Ausmus

INF Blake DeWitt

INF Mark Loretta

INF Doug Mientkiewicz

OF Juan Pierre