Green’s Position: It’s Not an Issue to Him

MIAMI —  Shawn Green is under the microscope for his slow start at the plate and approach in right field, making things uncomfortable for the Dodgers too.

General Manager Dan Evans traded Gary Sheffield in part because Green emerged as a team leader last season while setting a franchise record with 49 home runs, and the Dodgers figured Green was ready to shoulder more responsibility. Green has been in a season-long slump--hitting only .252 with three home runs and 21 runs batted in--and his performance in the field has raised eyebrows.

A few catchable balls have dropped in front of Green recently, prompting Manager Jim Tracy to talk to him about positioning. In the ninth inning of Friday’s 4-3 loss to the Florida Marlins at Pro Player Stadium, Green froze on a catchable line drive hit by Eric Owens, who scored the winning run after getting a leadoff double.

Green said too much has been made of a few plays.

“I wouldn’t say it’s an issue,” he said. “There have been a couple of balls where they [team officials] said I should have been playing in a different place. If they want me to move, I’ll move.”

Green won a Gold Glove in 1999 with the Toronto Blue Jays and had a reputation of being a good outfielder during five-plus seasons in the American League. However, scouts who follow the Dodgers have not been particularly impressed with Green’s fielding since he joined the club in 2000 after signing a six-year, $84-million contract.

Green said he is receptive to the suggestions of Tracy and the coaching staff, but there’s only so much he can do.

“They have the scouting reports; I go by my experiences against different hitters,” he said. “I’ve always played guys differently in different situations, but like I said, I’ll do whatever they want me to. But guys are going to get hits in front of me and over my head.”

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In an attempt to improve the sputtering offense, Tracy plans to keep Paul Lo Duca in the cleanup spot behind Green.

Lo Duca, who has batted fourth seven times this season, has been in a groove although he has only two homers, providing the club’s best run-production option because Brian Jordan is struggling as well. Tracy hopes Green gets better pitches to hit batting in front of Lo Duca.

“How good offensively are we capable of being? I don’t know the answer to that question,” Tracy said. “But I do know this: In order for us to reach to where I could get to that assessment, I do know that we’ve got to get Shawn Green going. That is the reason for [batting Lo Duca cleanup].”

In Saturday’s 3-0 victory over the Marlins, Lo Duca was hitless in four at-bats, grounding into two double plays, striking out and reaching on an error. Green was one for four, singling and reaching on an error.

TODAY

DODGERS’

HIDEO NOMO

(2-4, 3.09 ERA)

vs.

MARLINS’

RYAN DEMPSTER

(1-3, 4.22 ERA)

Pro Player Stadium, 10 a.m. PDT

TV--Fox Sports Net 2.

Radio--KXTA (1150), KWKW (1330)

Update--Nomo, second on the staff with 25 walks, continued to struggle with his command in Tuesday’s 6-5, 16-inning victory over the Atlanta Braves. The right-hander walked five in five innings and threw only 61 strikes in 104 pitches. Nomo has performed poorly against the Marlins, going 2-9 with a 4.46 earned-run average.