One thing I didn't have room for: I talked to DeJon Watson, who lives here in PHX and was at the ballpark. He said Yhency Brazoban has already lost between five and 10 pounds and that his fastball is routinely hitting the 89-93 mph range. He also said Brazo has had a good attitude despite being sent to Double-A Jacksonville to start the season when he came to camp believing he would be in the majors.
``He hasn't pitched in about a year, so he is just really getting his overall strength back,'' Watson said. ``He has had no setbacks whatsoever, and he has been diligent about getting to the ballpark early and getting his work in. He hasn't slacked off at all.''

Oh, and I also got my first daytime look at the several piles of dirt on a big, flat lot that will be the Dodgers' new spring-training complex by next February. That's a great area out there, a lot of good restaurants and shopping facilities. It's going to be a great place to spend six weeks every year, I can tell you that.

By Tony Jackson
Staff Writer
PHOENIX -- On a day when several Dodgers players turned out for a session of early batting practice at Chase Field, manager Joe Torre shook up his lineup yet again in a never-ending effort to find the right combination for a club that entered the day batting a collective .230.
Right fielder Matt Kemp, who came in batting .176 for the season, returned for the first time in four games after delivering a pinch-hit single in Monday night's loss to Arizona. Kemp batted second for the first time this season, the fourth player Torre has slotted there. Juan Pierre, who had started each of the previous three games in left field and whose average was even worse at .067, went back to the bench.
Also, Torre finally felt comfortable giving Russell Martin a night off after the slumping All-Star catcher hit safely in three of the previous four games. That allowed backup Gary Bennett, the last player on the Dodgers' roster who hadn't appeared in a game, to start.
Andruw Jones, the club's major offensive acquisition of the winter who has been having outstanding batting-practice sessions but was hitting just .115 in the actual games, remained in the lineup, batting fifth.
``He had long sessions (Monday) and again (Tuesday),'' Torre said. ``But the game speeds you up a little bit.''

Third baseman Nomar Garciaparra could rejoin the team as early as Monday, when the Dodgers begin a three-game series with Pittsburgh. He reported no ill effects from having taken regular batting practice on Monday, and he actually joined the early session Tuesday.
Garciaparra hasn't played in a game since March 7, when he suffered a microfracture in his right hand after being hit by a pitch in a Grapefruit League game. But all indications are that when the Dodgers begin a six-game homestand on Friday, Garciaparra will be in Sacramento beginning a minor-league rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Las Vegas.
That would put him on target to possibly return against the Pirates because he doesn't figure to need a long rehab.
``I won't say he needs a week,'' Torre said. ``I think once we have him in a rehab game or two or three or whatever he needs, he has to be the one to tell us when he is ready.''

The Dodgers traded reliever Eric Hull, whom they had designated for assignment on opening day to clear a 40-man roster spot, to Boston for minor-league infielder Christian Lara. Lara was with the Red Sox's Single-A Lancaster affiliate, which happened to be playing the Dodgers' Inland Empire club, so all he had to do before Tuesday night's game at San Bernardino was go to the other clubhouse. Lara will give the 66ers infield depth, but isn't much of a prospect.