Marcus Thames fills in wherever needed

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GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Marcus Thames was slated to make his first start at first base for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the afternoon half of Monday's split-squad, Cactus League doubleheader, but that game, against the Oakland A's at Camelback Ranch, was rained out. The Dodgers also played a night game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Scottsdale with the D-backs winning 3-0.

Although it isn't a position that is natural to Thames, a veteran outfielder who came to the club as a free agent this winter, it is one he has played enough in his career to establish some sense of familiarity and one he may be asked to occasionally play with the Dodgers. In nine major league seasons, Thames has appeared in 44 games at first base -- 33 of them in 2007 with the Detroit Tigers.

"I had never played it before that," he said. "[Tigers manager Jim] Leyland called me that offseason and said, 'Do you have a first baseman's glove?' I said no. So he said, 'We'll be getting you one, so you can get some at-bats.' So whatever it takes to get on the field."

The Tigers had a starting outfield that year of Craig Monroe in left, Curtis Granderson in center and Magglio Ordonez in right, and they had Gary Sheffield as their primary designated hitter. That left Thames, if he was to play at all, to share time at first base with Sean Casey in what essentially was a left-right platoon.

"I took to it a little bit," Thames said. "I went over there every day in spring training and worked with [infield coach Rafael] Belliard and Sean Casey, who is a good friend. It was a team effort. [Infielder] Carlos Guillen helped me out with positioning. I had a lot of guys on the team helping me with positioning and stuff like that."

Thames has a solid .991 fielding percentage at first, with only two errors in 235 chances. But given that he has been an outfielder most of his career, he wouldn't be a viable option as a long-term fill-in at first base if James Loney were to be lost to an injury. However, Thames' career average against lefties (.264) is 28 points higher than against righties (.236), so he could occasionally stand in for Loney against certain lefties.

Even in that case, though, Thames is not the only option. Both Casey Blake, who will get most of the starts at third base, and Jay Gibbons, who will share playing time in left field with Thames and Tony Gwynn, also can play first base.

"I don't plan on us using [Thames] there very much," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "We might do it against a tough left-hander, depending on where we're at and how things are going with James."

Thames said he will gladly do whatever is asked of him.

"James likes to play every day, or at least that's what I hear," he said. "But I'm willing to do whatever I can to help the Dodgers."

Out for the opener

Although both Vicente Padilla (right elbow surgery) and Jon Garland (strained oblique) continue to improve, club officials believe both pitchers will begin the season on the 15-day disabled list. Mattingly had allowed last week for a slight possibility that Padilla, who is progressing much more quickly than the medical staff originally thought he would, could be ready in time for the team's March 31 season opener.

"I think with both of them, we pretty much know they aren't going to make it back by opening day," Mattingly said.

As long as neither pitches in a Cactus League game, their placement on the DL could be backdated to Tuesday, meaning both could be activated as early as April 6, which could be realistic for Padilla. As for Garland, club officials remain hopeful he could be ready when the Dodgers need a fifth starter for the first time on April 12. But that would require a minor league rehabilitation assignment first, and the fact the minor league season doesn't begin until April 6 could create a logistical problem for getting Garland ready to pitch in a major league game that quickly.

"With Jon, right now we're in that 12- or 13-day period [after the injury] where he is starting to feel good, and that is when you have to be careful," Mattingly said. "When they're hurting, they feel it. But when they start improving, that is when they want to start pushing it. They want to get it up to this level, and they want to get it up to that level. For me, this is that little area where you really have to be careful with it."