Took You Long Enough

Ken Gurnick reports that Russell Martin thinks it was a timing problem.

ANAHEIM -- After holding a Thursday news conference to announce his involvement with the ONE DROP Foundation, while en route to the clubhouse, Russell Martin walked past injured infielder Doug Mientkiewicz, who was practicing his swing, which included the leg lift he uses to keep his body weight back.

"And that's when it hit me," Martin said Saturday night. "That's it. That's what I wasn't doing. This is it."

Martin stopped cold. He started talking to Mientkiewicz, mimicked his leg lift, took it into batting practice, then that night's game.

On Saturday night, the leg lift launched Martin on his first home run trot of the year, first three-hit game in nearly a month and first RBI in three weeks.

Now we all should know that MLB.com loves to write fluff articles about the team after somebody does something positive, so how legit of an adjustment is this? Well Martin certainly does have a more pronounced leg lift now, and getting your timing right is essential to hitting that annoying white ball. I think it's a valid reason, but it's also pretty weird that it took him 3 months to find something that works. Remember when James Loney had zero home runs on the season, and then he homered on back-to-back days? How is that "resurgence" working out so far? Not well. So before we get too excited like before, I suggest we wait this out and see how the new leg lift really affects him.

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Manny's "rehab" stint is now finalized.

ANAHEIM -- Suspended outfielder Manny Ramirez agreed to start a Minor League rehab assignment Tuesday night at Triple-A Albuquerque, Dodgers manager Joe Torre announced Saturday.

Ramirez was suspended on May 7 for 50 games after violating the Major League Baseball drug policy. Club management is hoping he will play three games in Albuquerque, take a day off to travel to California, then resume the Minor League assignment with four games for Class A Inland Empire in final preparation for his return to the Dodgers lineup July 3.

He can't come back fast enough.

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Speaking of returns, James McDonald is back!

ANAHEIM -- With long reliever Jeff Weaver starting Saturday night, the Dodgers recalled James McDonald from Triple-A Albuquerque to be a long reliever and sent right-handed reliever Travis Schlichting to Albuquerque.

Hopefully he can find the strike zone this time around.