Manny Ramirez was back in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ lineup on Monday and looking forward to a few more at-bats before spring training ends.
Ramirez returned from a hamstring injury and went 0-for-3 in the Dodgers’ 10-4 loss to the Los Angeles Angels.
“We’ll take it step by step,” said Ramirez, who was running about 60 to 70 percent of speed during the game and in pregame drills. “We don’t want to rush it.”
PHOTO: AP
Ramirez was called out on strikes twice and bounced into a double play while serving as the designated hitter.
“I only hit [the ball] once but it was good,” said Ramirez, playing in his third spring game. “The main thing is I’m trying to get my leg healthy. It was pretty good for the first time in a while.”
Ramirez agreed to a US$45 million, two-year contract on March 4 and played in his first game nine days later, singling and walking twice as a designated hitter.
He missed six spring games after he aggravated his sore left hamstring against the Colorado Rockies on March 15.
At Tempe, Arizona, Chad Billingsley threw two innings for the Dodgers before leaving with a slightly strained groin. Billingsley allowed four runs and four hits, walked three and struck out two.
Dustin Moseley, a strong candidate for one of two open spots in the Angels’ rotation, allowed four runs, three earned, and eight hits over six innings in his fifth spring start. He is 3-0 with a 3.15 ERA.
Meanwhile, at Clearwater, Florida, the Phillies downed the Yankees 8-3. J.A. Happ gave up two runs — one earned — five hits and three walks. He struck out three in an impressive audition for the fifth spot in the Phillies’ rotation.
Wang Chien-ming was supposed to pitch in a minor league game in Tampa on Monday but it was rained out, so he headed instead to Dunedin with catcher Jorge Posada and coaches Tony Peqa and Dave Eiland. When that game was also rained out, Pena turned their car around and headed for Clearwater, where Wang worked into the sixth inning after a rain delay.
“It was like Little League,” Posada said, “looking for a dry field to play.”
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