DODGERS NOTEBOOK: FOR KARROS, IT'S MATTER OF TIME.

Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer

DENVER - Eric Karros' back was no worse Tuesday than it was the day before. It was also no better.

So the Dodgers will wait a few days and hope all is well after Thursday's day off. If that's the case, Karros, known for playing through injuries, could return to the lineup Friday in Los Angeles.

But that's the best-case scenario. The worst-case scenario hasn't been broached by the organization.

It was diagnosed as a muscle strain, and manager Jim Tracy said Karros won't play in today's series finale against the Colorado Rockies. Karros's absence caused Tracy to juggle his lineup Tuesday, which included catcher Paul LoDuca batting leadoff and playing first base for the first time in his major-league career.

``He does have some muscle stiffness in there that's limited him, and the big limitation is swinging the bat right now,'' Dodgers physical therapist Pat Screnar said of Karros. ``It's to the point where time off will be advantageous for him.''

Karros' absence, regardless of the time frame, leaves a hole in the Dodgers' lineup. How long that remains is a question the Dodgers aren't ready to answer. Tracy said there's been no discussion of placing Karros on the 15-day disabled list to clear up the back strain that's surfaced for the second time since the beginning of spring training.

Karros told Tracy he couldn't bat during a pivotal juncture of Monday's 6-3 loss, a telltale sign considering Karros is a .372 lifetime hitter with 17 homers and 46 RBI at Coors Field.

Even though Karros has a recent history with back problems, including missing three weeks of spring training with a sprain, Screnar said no X-rays or MRIs were taken. Screnar added that Karros, who's taking anti-inflammatories, could undergo tests Thursday.

``We're going to treat it vigorously over the next couple of days, and then we'll be in a situation where we can re-assess the situation again Friday,'' Tracy said. ``I have the utmost confidence in the medical people, and the fact that when you're dealing with something as far as the back, there's nobody that knows themselves better than the individual.

``I don't want to look at it and I don't think Eric Karros wants to look at it that it's such a bad situation that it's definitely a disabled-list situation. That conversation hasn't even come up.''

--Happy Holly: Add Rockies outfielder Todd Hollandsworth to the list of former Dodgers playing well in another city, and add him to the list of former Dodgers who said the circus-like atmosphere in Los Angeles the past few seasons was a deterrent to the on-field product.

``My confidence has just risen here,'' said Hollandsworth, batting .368 with six homers and 19 RBI in 33 games. ``I just feel free.''

Hollandsworth, the 1996 National League Rookie of the Year with the Dodgers, is on the 15-day disabled list after bruising his shin and suffering nerve damage. He's hopeful of playing next week when the Rockies travel to Dodger Stadium.

``When you hit that bump in the road, when the organization was going through turmoil in '97 and '98, when guys were having great years and we're not winning, then all the questions starting popping up,'' Hollandsworth said. ``Then the changes start, and when the changes start, that's when everybody's in that position of flux. Nobody knows where they're going. Are we going up? Are we going down? Are we a group? Faces are changing, guys are coming in and out. We're talking high-level executives.''

--Odds and ends: When Colorado lefty Denny Neagle walked Mark Grudzielanek in the first inning, it broke a string of consecutive batters faced without a base on balls at 90. ... Right-hander Andy Ashby threw for 13 minutes off flat ground to a crouching catcher, the first time he's done that in three weeks. He reported no pain. ... Rockies third baseman Jeff Cirillo, a product of Burbank's Providence High and USC, left the game in the third inning with a bruise on his left hand after being hit with a pitch.

DODGERS VS. COLORADO

Time: 12:05 p.m., at Coors Field.

TV/Radio: Fox Sports Net 2; 1150-AM, 1330-AM (Spanish).

Matchup: An end to a disappointing nine-game road trip comes to an end with Dodgers RH Kevin Brown (5-2, 1.86 ERA) facing Rockies RH Pedro Astacio (4-4, 4.50). Brown leads the league in ERA but is coming off a four-inning stint against the Mets in which he allowed a season-high five runs. Brown is second in the league in opponents' batting average at .195. Astacio, a one-time Dodger, struck out 11 in a 2-1 loss to Florida in his last outing.

- Brian Dohn

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DODGERS vs. COLORADO (see text)