DODGERS NOTEBOOK: JOHNSON FIGURING HIS LEFTY SITUATION.

Byline: Brian Dohn Daily News Staff Writer

Manager Davey Johnson said the three exhibition games the Dodgers play this weekend will go a long way toward determining the left-handed situation in the bullpen.

He said he wants to have two lefties in the bullpen, and he appears ready to choose between veteran Greg Cadaret (0-1, 4.97 ERA this spring), Pedro Borbon (0-0, 2.00) and rookie Onan Masaoka (0-0, 0.90).

The Dodgers play the Angels on Friday at Edison Field, and that could give one of the lefties an opportunity to face Mo Vaughn and Jim Edmonds.

The games Saturday and Sunday against the Yankees at Dodger Stadium present more chances for situational lefties to prove a point. The Yankees have lefties Paul O'Neill, Tino Martinez and Jorge Posada.

``There are some situations that we'll see with the Anaheim club and the Yankees,'' Johnson said. ``I'll use them in situations and see where each guy is at. That doesn't mean I'm going to decide who makes my club on the last three games.''

Because of Cadaret's major-league service time, and because he signed a guaranteed contract, he could reject a minor-league assignment. That could figure into the Dodgers' thinking.

Dodgers general manager Kevin Malone said if Masaoka didn't make the major- league roster he would begin the season in the bullpen in Triple-A Albuquerque.

``I'm pleased with the work Masaoka has done,'' Johnson said. ``I'm pleased with the work Borbon has done. Cadaret had a tough time the other day.''

Johnson has all but eliminated latecomer Jeff Williams from the mix, at least for now. Williams, a 26-year-old lefty from Australia, pitched two scoreless innings Tuesday against the Cardinals.

Also working against Williams is his experience. He threw with the big-league club twice during the spring and appeared in 21 games last season at Triple-A Albuquerque.

``I'm intrigued with this Williams kid,'' Johnson said. ``He's a kid for more down the line.''

Masaoka honored: Before Wednesday's Grapefruit League finale against the Houston Astros, the Dodgers gave Masaoka a commemorative watch as the recipient of the Jim and Dearie Mulvey Award. It's given to the top rookie during spring training.

The Dodger Experience: The Dodgers will debut an 8,000-square foot multimedia museum, complete with artifacts of Dodger and baseball history, before Saturday's game with the Yankees.

The Dodger Experience is located in the right-field corner on the club level of Dodger Stadium. It will house more than 1,000 artifacts, including the 1981 and 1988 World Series trophies.

Balks, walks and chalks: Instead of the usual workout when the Dodgers return to Los Angeles, Johnson said he'll give the team today off so they can handle personal business. . . . Johnson's latest lineup tinkering has right fielder Raul Mondesi hitting cleanup, between Gary Sheffield and Devon White. Johnson scrapped his experiment to hit Mondesi third earlier in the spring and Mondesi voiced displeasure about hitting fifth. . . . The city of Vero Beach, Indian River County and the Keep Our Dodgers committee said farewell to the Dodgers during a sendoff celebration at the Vero Beach airport before the team left for L.A.

DODGERS UPDATE

Wednesday's recap: Jeff Bagwell hit two solo homers off Kevin Brown as the Houston Astros defeated the Dodgers 6-4 in perhaps the last spring-training game for the Dodgers at Holman Stadium. The Dodgers are considering whether to return to Vero Beach next spring for a 52nd year or move to Fort McDowell, Ariz., located near Phoenix.

Friday's game: After an off day today, the Dodgers play the Angels at Edison Field at 7:05 p.m.

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BOX: DODGERS UPDATE (see text)