BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : Strawberry to Play Tuesday Against Pirates

Darryl Strawberry confirmed Sunday that he would return to the lineup Tuesday in Pittsburgh.

Strawberry took batting practice for the first time since leaving the lineup a week ago and said his left shoulder felt good enough for him to take batting practice and throw today in the series finale against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

“So I’ll be back in there Tuesday, and I can’t wait,” Strawberry said.

In the seven games since Strawberry’s departure, the Dodgers have hit only two home runs, and scored 21 runs. But they have won five of those seven games, mostly because the starting pitchers have given up seven runs in 51 1/3 innings for a 1.23 earned-run average.

Jeff Hamilton was scheduled to start his first game since May 31 because the Cubs were pitching left-hander Danny Jackson, but he was a late scratch when he came down with a stomach virus.

Although Fred Claire, club vice president, sympathized with Hamilton’s bad luck, for the first time he publicly endorsed Lenny Harris as a possible full-time player.

“I think Lenny is showing he can be an every-day player,” Claire said. “He is getting much more comfortable at third base for us, and has been making tremendous plays for us over there.”

Harris is batting .312 in his past 15 games and has made only one error in his past 32 games. Hamilton is batting .228 as the starting third baseman.

Jackson, the Chicago Cubs’ free agent who was making his first start since being sidelined for nearly two months because of a groin injury, gave up five runs and 11 hits in 6 2/3 innings. The Dodgers got 13 hits, their second-highest total this season. . . . Tim Crews missed a second consecutive game because of an intestinal ailment. He said doctors doubled the dosage of drugs he was taking last week to combat the illness, and he hopes to return to the team today. . . . Broadcaster Ross Porter missed Sunday’s game to attend the graduation of his son, Wes, from Occidental College. . . . According to research by the Dodgers, Mike Scioscia, the leading Dodger in games caught, has caught 61 different pitchers in his 11 seasons. This includes two Howells (Jay and Ken), one Hatcher (Mickey), and five Cy Young Award winners (Orel Hershiser, Dave Stewart, Rick Sutcliffe, Fernando Valenzuela and Bob Welch). . . . To make room for Jackson, the Cubs placed Rick Sutcliffe on the 15-day disabled list.