Phillips Can Put First Thing First

The silver lining for Jason Phillips after losing his role as everyday catcher to triple-A call-up Dioner Navarro? Phillips finally has a chance to work on his throwing mechanics with bullpen coach Jon Debus.

The positive for Navarro? Well, it’s all good for him.

“I’m pretty excited,” Navarro, 21, said Saturday afternoon. “I couldn’t wait to get here today to see if my name was in the lineup again.”

It was, for the second consecutive game.

And Phillips was again at first base.

“I’m in the lineup,” Phillips said, “I’m happy.”

Phillips was acquired by the Dodgers in a trade with the New York Mets on March 20 and, having become the Dodgers’ starting catcher essentially from the moment he arrived at Vero Beach, he did not have much time to work with the coaching staff on his mechanics.

Phillips has thrown out only 12 of 82 base stealers (14.6%) this season.

While Manager Jim Tracy said he had a “terrific conversation” with Phillips about moving to first base, he also said Phillips was by no means finished behind the plate.

“As far as messages go,” Tracy said, “I speak realistically to [my players].

“There’s nothing wrong with his arm strength. We have to address some [concerns] with his exchange and footwork.”

Tracy also said he wanted to keep Phillips’ bat in the lineup; his 45 runs batted in before Saturday were tied for third among major league catchers. Batting sixth Saturday, Phillips then went two for four with a solo home run in a 9-4 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Phillips said he started at first base for the Mets on opening day in 2004 and split time there with Todd Zeile but preferred being behind the plate, “only because you have more control when you’re catching, more opportunity to help the ballclub when you’re catching.”

As for the timing of the move?

“Anything can happen in this game,” he said with a grin.

As for Navarro, who caught 37 innings in 11 spring training games for the Dodgers after playing his first four professional seasons in the New York Yankees’ minor league system, the Dodgers expect him to shore up the defense and cut down base stealers. He threw out 22 of 64 (34.4%) at Las Vegas.

“Everyone says he’s the next Pudge Rodriguez so hopefully that’s true,” said shortstop Cesar Izturis.

Said Navarro: “I just have to get along with the pitchers and do my job. It shouldn’t be that hard. I spent time with those guys in spring training.”

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Jayson Werth’s sore left knee was no better after he attempted to take batting practice Saturday and he was again unavailable to play. Werth, who was on the disabled list from March 25 to May 25 with a broken left wrist, cannot extend his knee past 90 degrees, Tracy said, and could be sent to the DL before the Dodgers’ trip to Washington this week.

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Center fielder Milton Bradley attended the opening of his second youth baseball academy in Long Beach on Saturday morning. Bradley also has an academy in Baldwin Hills.

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Times staff writer Steve Henson contributed to this report.