Suspended Dodgers LF Manny Ramirez has broken his public silence on his suspension — but he didn’t say much.
Ramirez didn’t specifically address the 50-game suspension handed down by the MLB, according to MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick: “That’s in the past,” Ramirez said. “Whatever happened, that’s in the past. I’m coming to play my game and move on. What happened, happened. I spoke to (owner) Frank McCourt, I apologized, I spoke to (manager) Joe Torre, my teammates and I’m ready to move on. I didn’t kill nobody, I didn’t rape nobody. That’s it.”
Ramirez is eligible to return from suspension on July 3 and may begin a rehab assignment 10 days prior.
Meanwhile, Chad Billingsley is on the hill for the Dodgers tonight, facing off against the Padres’ Chris Young in the first game of a two-game set with San Diego. Here’s tonight’s lineups:

Dodgers
Pierre, LF
Hudson, 2B
Ethier, RF
Loney, 1B
Blake, 3B
Martin, C
Furcal, SS
Kemp, CF
Billingsley, P

Padres
Gwynn, CF
Eckstein, 2B
Giles, RF
Gonzalez, 1B
Kouzmanoff, 3B
Headley, LF
Hundley, C
Wilson, SS
Young, P

In New York, the Dodgers’ first selection in the 2009 MLB Draft has just been announced. With no first round pick due to the signing of Type A free agent Orlando Hudson, the Dodgers took Baylor LHP/CF Aaron Miller with their #36 pick in the compensatory, or sandwich, round between the 1st and 2nd.
Most scouting services have Miller listed as a likely CF at the next level, but the Dodgers announced him as a pitcher with the selection. This may remind some of the selection of James Loney out of high school in the first round in 2002. Many saw Loney as a left-handed starter at the major league level, but the Dodgers saw him as a first-base prospect through and through. Interestingly, Loney had committed to Baylor but chose to sign with the Dodgers when he was selected 19th overall.
Read MLB.com’s scouting report on Miller here.
The Dodgers’ next selection is at #56. Both of these picks were received as compensation for the loss of Derek Lowe to the Braves in free agency.