DODGERS NOTEBOOK: CAUTION EXERCISED, NOT ACE'S SHOULDER.

Byline: Eric Noland Daily News Staff Writer

Ramon Martinez, on the disabled list with a small tear in the rotator cuff of his right shoulder, said he might try to throw a baseball today for the first time in nearly two weeks, but a member of the Dodgers medical staff said that expectation might be a little ambitious.

There is no timetable for Martinez, the ace of the starting staff, to test his shoulder by throwing lightly - an exercise that ultimately will determine whether the injury will heal with rest or require surgery.

Although Dr. Frank Jobe said more than a week ago that Martinez would likely throw in five days, the club is proceeding cautiously in the matter, something with which Martinez has no quarrel.

``I know now we're struggling and I work very hard when I'm pitching. But I don't want to waste my career trying to be a hero,'' Martinez said. ``I'm going to make sure.''

He added: ``It's a delicate situation, especially when it's a problem with my shoulder. I've had elbow problems before, but the shoulder is the main part of the arm.'' Martinez, a 10-year veteran who had never before spent time on the disabled list with arm trouble, also said he wants to avoid surgery unless it is deemed absolutely essential.

No demotion commotion: Many a struggling young player has been sent down to Triple-A only to mope and sulk and worsen his plight.

Todd Hollandsworth vowed not to be caught up in this spiral, even in the face of the indignity of being sent down half a season after earning the National League Rookie of the Year award.

``That's what I tried to avoid. I know it's a strong possibility,'' said Hollandsworth, who brought a .429 average back from Albuquerque when he rejoined the Dodgers Monday. ``You can make it hard on yourself and on the team you're going down to. You can make people hate you. In my mind, that's unproductive.''