ANGELS NOTEBOOK: SPRINGER FINALLY GETS TO DODGER STADIUM.

Byline: Eric Noland Daily News Staff Writer

For seven years in the Dodgers' farm system, he nursed along an aspiration of one day pitching in Dodger Stadium. At times it seemed an elusive hope - especially when he was demoted from Triple-A to Double-A four years into his minor-league career.

The opportunity finally arrives tonight for knuckleballer Dennis Springer. He just never envisioned he'd be wearing the gray uniform of an opposing team.

``That's what you're raised thinking of, that's what you get drafted for - getting to the big leagues with the team that picked you,'' said Springer, the Angels starter who will oppose the Dodgers' Hideo Nomo tonight.

``The other way to look at it,'' Springer went on, ``is you want to show them that maybe they made a mistake. It's not a grudge thing. I was happy with my years here and the opportunity just didn't happen.''

Springer, who left the Dodgers organization by mutual consent after the 1993 season, can probably take comfort in the fact that the makings of a pretty respectable pitching rotation can be found in Dodgers castoffs: Pedro Martinez (Montreal), Orel Hershiser (Cleveland), Tim Belcher (Kansas City) and Springer.

On ice: Angels first baseman Darin Erstad will be used only in hitting situations for at least a week in hopes that his sore left elbow will recover, manager Terry Collins said.

``He'll pinch hit (in the Dodgers series) and DH against the A's (this weekend in Oakland),'' Collins said. ``He's not going to throw any baseballs - through the weekend, probably. For the next 5-6 days, I've got him (available to hit). If we play him defensively, I end up not having him for 5-6 weeks if that thing's injured. I don't want that.''

In Erstad's absence, Jim Leyritz took over at first, with Chad Kreuter replacing Leyritz behind the plate.

Also: Angels pitcher Shigetoshi Hasegawa said he faced Nomo ``about 5-6 times'' in Japan's pro game. Collins said he briefly thought of giving Hasegawa a spot start to spice up tonight's game but decided against it for a variety of reasons. . . . Angels pitcher Rich DeLucia skipped Tuesday night's game with the flu.