BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : Ashley Expected to Be on Playoff Roster

Billy Ashley, who spent the first half of the season as the Dodgers’ starting left fielder, has become almost a fixture on the bench since the All-Star break.

He has not started in a game since Aug. 10, has had only three plate appearances since Aug. 27, and is never used unless the game is one-sided.

But the Dodgers are planning to keep Ashley on their playoff roster that’s submitted Tuesday morning. Third baseman Mike Busch and rookie outfielder Karim Garcia are expected to be kept off the roster.

Todd Hollandsworth, who has only two at-bats since Aug. 8, will be used primarily as the late defensive replacement for left fielder Roberto Kelly.

The Dodgers will go with a 10-man pitching staff: Ramon Martinez, Ismael Valdes, Hideo Nomo, Tom Candiotti, Kevin Tapani, Todd Worrell, Antonio Osuna, John Cummings, Mark Guthrie and Pedro Astacio.

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Nomo, whose fastball was clocked at only 75-80 m.p.h. in his last start, was examined Friday by Dr. Frank Jobe.

There were no abnormalities discovered in the exam, Jobe said, and Nomo will make his scheduled start tonight.

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The Dodgers tentatively are planning on using a four-man rotation in the playoffs, and if they wind up playing the Cincinnati Reds, they have definitely decided to go with a four-man rotation.

The tentative pitching matchups: The Dodgers’ Martinez vs. the Reds’ Pete Schourek in Game 1 on Tuesday; Valdes vs. John Smiley in Game 2 on Wednesday; Nomo vs. Mark Portugal in Game 3 on Thursday; and Candiotti vs. David Wells in Game 4 on Friday.

The Dodgers will hold Martinez out of Sunday’s season finale against the Padres if they already have a playoff spot clinched.