Hollandsworth Getting Impatient

Outfielder Todd Hollandsworth remains sidelined after suffering a strained rib cage muscle last Thursday against the Cincinnati Reds.

Hollandsworth is eager to return to the field and hopes to take batting practice soon. However, Hollandsworth acknowledges his thinking might be too ambitious at this point.

“It’s one of those things where you just want to get back out there but you don’t want to do anything stupid and risk hurting it even more,” Hollandsworth said. “It’s always frustrating, especially after the way the year started [on the disabled list]. You just have to be smart about these things.

“The good thing is that there isn’t anything broken in there. It’s just a muscle thing, so we’ll take it one day at a time and see.”

Manager Davey Johnson won’t let Hollandsworth take any chances.

“Probably not,” Johnson responded when asked if Hollandsworth would play in the next series against Pittsburgh beginning today at Three Rivers Stadium. “I would be tickled to death if he was available for the Anaheim series [Friday through Sunday at Dodger Stadium].”

*

Although second baseman Eric Young has batted leadoff throughout his career, he is pleased to now bat second behind Devon White.

White hit his fourth home run in Sunday’s 5-4, 11-inning victory over the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field.

Young encouraged Johnson to adjust the batting order because the players batting behind Young have struggled in the role. Johnson made the move before the second game on the trip and the Dodgers are 4-1 since.

“Devo has batted leadoff before and we needed to do something in the two hole,” said Young, hitless in five at-bats Sunday. “To me, the main thing is that we just get something going that can help us get on a roll. You have to be willing to make some adjustments if you want to win.

“We just have to keep getting guys on base for Sheff [Gary Sheffield] and Mondy [Raul Mondesi]. I’ll be Devo’s caddie if it will help us win.”

ON DECK

* Opponent--Pittsburgh Pirates, three games.

* Site--Three Rivers Stadium.

* Today--10:30 a.m. PDT.

* TV--Channel 5 today, Fox Sports West 2 Tuesday and Wednesday.

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

* Records--Dodgers 26-23, Pirates 25-24.

* 1998 record vs. Pirates--7-5.

TODAY

DODGERS’ CHAN HO PARK (4-3, 4.68 ERA)

vs.

PIRATES’ JOSE SILVA (2-2, 7.12 ERA)

* Update--Park earned his first victory in four starts Wednesday against the Cincinnati Reds. Park pitched seven strong innings against the Reds in a 9-3 victory on the day pitching coach Charlie Hough was fired and replaced by triple-A pitching coach Claude Osteen. The performance marked Park’s second consecutive quality start. “He didn’t have his best stuff but he kept battling,” Manager Davey Johnson said. “He showed me a lot [of mental toughness] that I really hadn’t seen from him. That one made me feel good.”

* Tuesday, 4 p.m.--Ismael Valdes (5-2, 3.75) vs. Jason Schmidt (4-3, 4.42).

* Wednesday, 4 p.m.--Darren Dreifort (5-3, 5.02) vs. Todd Ritchie (4-3, 3.71).