Young’s Immediate Future Will Be in Dodger Lineup

HOUSTON —  Eric Young supposedly had been removed from the Dodgers’ plans, but plans change.

The veteran second baseman will return to the starting lineup when he comes off the disabled list, sources said Wednesday. Dodger officials decided to reinstate the speedy leadoff batter once he recovers from a left ankle sprain because benching Young would further decrease his limited trade value.

Young might be ready to rejoin the club when it returns from a 10-game, three-city trip that continued Wednesday night with Kevin Brown pitching a complete game in a 2-1 victory over the Astros before 31,771 at the Astrodome.

Brown (12-6) was dominant in powering the Dodgers (47-60) over the Astros (65-43), who lead the National League Central division. The staff ace gave up four hits, and Derek Bell’s two-out, run-scoring double in the ninth inning was all that prevented Brown from throwing his first shutout as a Dodger.

Meanwhile, the Young situation took another strange twist. And things might get even stranger, sources said, because the Dodgers are expected to encounter problems trading Young in the off-season regardless of his performance down the stretch.

Young and Manager Davey Johnson might be stuck with one another despite their chilly relationship, causing another potential problem for General Manager Kevin Malone. Young is eligible to be activated Sunday and the Dodgers return home five days later.

“I’m going to let him play when he’s healthy,” said Johnson, who would not confirm that Young will return to the everyday lineup. “I’m not willing to say that [Young will start] at this point, what I’m saying is that once E.Y. is healthy there is a place for him on this team.

“I’m not really sure what I’m going to do with him at this point. Maybe I’ll look at a platoon situation. Maybe I’ll look at getting him work in a lot of ways, but I’m not going to commit to anything specific right now. The main thing is for him to get healthy, and we don’t want to rush that. But, yeah, that [the plan to bench Young] has probably changed a little.”

Johnson also declined to confirm that the only reason Young, who remained in Los Angeles to undergo therapy, will be reinstated into the lineup is because the Dodgers hope to showcase him for potential trades.

“We all know what’s going on,” Young said in a phone interview Wednesday. “That’s fine with me if they want me to go out there so other teams can get a look at me. I’m a man, I can take that. My problem is that I’ve been hurt for the whole season.

“I’m getting healthy now, and I intend on being out there when I come back. I don’t have any control over what they want to do with me, I just want the chance to fill the role I know I can.”

He also wants to clear the air with Johnson.

Young was hurt because Johnson intimated to reporters that he would be benched because of his subpar defensive play before Young was informed. Young’s inability to turn what Johnson described as a “room-service” double play against the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 23 was the final straw.

The situation needs to be resolved, Young said.

“I’m not mad at anybody, all I want to do is find out what happened to my situation in L.A.,” said Young, owed $9 million under the final two years of his contract. “All I’ve ever tried to do is give 110%. All of a sudden, I’m hearing that I’m not good enough to play and that I’m the problem.

“I still think the situation can be worked out because it could just be a misunderstanding. I can handle whatever they say, I just want to be treated like a man and have somebody tell me what happened.”