Although the Dodgers are the clear class of the National League West with a lineup that is even more productive than it was predicted to be and a rotation, bullpen and bench that have all come through for the most part, one concern is injuries. The club already has five players on the 15-day disabled list, including three -- RHP Hiroki Kuroda, INF Doug Mientkiewicz and RHP Cory Wade -- who were on the active roster on opening day. Both Kuroda and Wade are expected back by the end of the month, but Mientkiewicz won't be back for several months. What the Dodgers haven't had is nagging injuries that have kept anyone out of the lineup for a couple of days here and there. More important, perhaps, SS Rafael Furcal hasn't had any problems with his surgically repaired lower back, possibly due to the fact he is being rested once a week.
PLAYER NEWS: --RHP Cory Wade (right shoulder bursitis) threw 20 pitches Thursday in an extended spring training game, not a simulated game, and he felt fine physically. But he did feel rusty, and thus he will make one more appearance in Glendale, Ariz., on Saturday, after which he might skip an anticipated minor league rehab stint and rejoin the Dodgers in San Francisco when he becomes eligible for activation Monday.
--RHP Chad Billingsley is the first Dodgers pitcher to win his first four starts in a season since Kazuhisa Ishii in 2002. Billingsley has a 2.05 ERA and a career ERA against the Astros of 2.62. He also has pitched at least six innings in each of his four starts this season, and Thursday he became just the second Dodgers starter this season to pitch into the eighth inning. LHP Randy Wolf did it April 12 at Arizona.
--LF Manny Ramirez went 2-for-4 with an RBI single Thursday. For the three-game series against Houston, he batted .417 (5-for-12) with two homers and five RBIs. Ramirez is hitting .458 (11-for-24) in his past six games, a stretch in which he's hit all four of his home runs for the season.
--2B Orlando Hudson went 2-for-4 with a double Thursday and has now hit in nine consecutive games. He is batting .486 (18-for-37) during the streak, which also includes hitting for the cycle on April 13 against San Francisco, the game in which the streak began. But Hudson has made almost as big a contribution to his new team with his glove. He has displayed considerable range to both his left and right, which has been refreshing to a pitching staff that had been forced for years to deal with Jeff Kent's limited range in the late stages of his career.
MEDICAL WATCH:
RHP Cory Wade (right shoulder bursitis) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 12. He threw in extended spring training April 23, and he will do so again April 25. He might be activated April 27.
RHP Hiroki Kuroda (strained left oblique) went on the 15-day disabled list April 11. He will need to make a rehab start before rejoining the Dodgers.
RHP Claudio Vargas (right elbow tendinitis) went on the 60-day disabled list retroactive to April 6. He might return as soon as he's eligible.
INF Doug Mientkiewicz (dislocated right shoulder) went on the 15-day disabled list April 17. He had surgery April 20, and he is unlikely to return before September.
RHP Jason Schmidt (right shoulder surgery) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 30. He threw in extended spring training on April 8 and April 13, and he will pitch there at least once more before starting a minor league rehab assignment.
ROTATION:
LHP Randy Wolf
RHP Chad Billingsley
LHP Clayton Kershaw
LHP Eric Stults
RHP James McDonald
BULLPEN:
RHP Jonathan Broxton (closer)
LHP Hong-Chih Kuo
RHP Guillermo Mota
LHP Will Ohman
RHP Ronald Belisario
RHP Ramon Troncoso
LHP Scott Elbert
CATCHERS:
Russell Martin
Brad Ausmus
INFIELDERS:
1B James Loney
2B Orlando Hudson
SS Rafael Furcal
3B Casey Blake
INF Juan Castro
INF Mark Loretta
INF Blake DeWitt
OUTFIELDERS:
LF Manny Ramirez
CF Matt Kemp
RF Andre Ethier
OF Juan Pierre
