DODGERS NOTEBOOK: MLICKI REMAINS ON BLOCK.

Byline: Brian Dohn Daily News Staff Writer

Dave Mlicki didn't think he'd make it to opening day in a Dodgers uniform. He did, but now there's questions of whether the right-hander will make it to the Dodgers' second homestand later this month.

When right-handed reliever Antonio Osuna comes off the disabled list, Dodgers manager Davey Johnson said he wants to keep two lefties in the bullpen.

``I like two lefties. I love two lefties,'' Johnson said before the season-opening 8-6 win against Arizona. ``In my scheme of thought, I'd go with two lefties.''

It will most likely mean one of the starters being traded. Mlicki, pushed into the bullpen because of the Dodgers' overflow in starting pitching, remains the overwhelmingly candidate.

``All things are pointing toward Mlicki,'' Dodgers general manager Kevin Malone said.

Osuna, on the mend from elbow surgery last fall, is eligible to come off the disabled list Friday. But Malone said Osuna is 10 days to two weeks away from returning. The plan is to have Osuna make a few rehab appearances with Single-A San Bernardino before returning to the Dodgers. Meanwhile, Mlicki is forced to sit, wait and try to adapt to the bullpen.

``I thought something would have happened by now, if not with the pitching maybe with (utility infielder Jose) Vizcaino,'' Mlicki said. ``I didn't think I'd still be here, but I'm glad I am.''

But the question is, how long? Johnson said the status of lefty relievers Onan Masaoka, a 21-year-old rookie, and Pedro Borbon wouldn't be affected by Osuna's return. Malone echoed it.

``I don't see (sending down Masaoka or Borbon) as probable,'' Malone said. ``Davey likes to have two lefties in the pen.''

Bullpen bullies: Johnson's top priority during spring training was to get the bullpen set. Against the Diamondbacks, the quartet of Mel Rojas, Masaoka, Alan Mills and Jeff Shaw pitched five hitless innings of relief. It allowed the Dodgers to rally from a 6-2 deficit.

``We keep it like that, we can win a lot of games,'' said Rojas, who struck out two in his inning of work. ``I needed a 1-2-3 inning. Come tomorrow I'll be more confident.''

The only blemish on the bullpen was the run Borbon yielded in relief of starter Kevin Brown, but that was a sidelight. It was Borbon's first appearance in the majors since Aug. 22, 1996, when he suffered a career-threatening elbow injury. ``The results weren't that good, but it feels awesome to be out there again,'' said Borbon, who gave up two hits in one-third of an inning. ``It's hard enough to pitch there when you're healthy. Imagine going through the hell I had to go through to get back.''

The Hundley watch: This could be the last unofficial installment of the ``Hundley Watch.'' He caught all 11 innings but spoke with Johnson afterward and said he would catch again today. Hundley said his legs were tired after the nearly four-hour game, but his surgically repaired elbow was dandy.

His three at-bats against the Big Unit were a different story. Hundley (1 for 5, 4 strikeouts) whiffed in his three plate appearances against hard-throwing lefty Randy Johnson.

``Oh, my Lord. He was nasty,'' Hundley said after his first experience with Johnson. ``I had a hard time seeing the ball out of the crowd. You can't hit what you can't see. You could hit me in the head and I wouldn't see it. I just listened for the glove.''

Extra bases: Eric Young and Raul Mondesi were the only Dodgers in the starting lineup Monday who started for the 1998 season opener. . . . The sellout crowd of 53,109 was 648 shy of the club's opening-day record.

DODGERS vs. ARIZONA

Time: 7:10 p.m., at Dodger Stadium.

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

Matchup: Coming off a masterful spring, Dodgers right-hander Chan Ho Park makes his season debut in the middle game of a three-game set with the Diamondbacks. Park, who is 29-17 the last two seasons, was 2-1 with a 0.78 ERA in five spring starts. He worked on a changeup most of the spring and the Dodgers are hopeful he has the confidence to throw it in pressure situations. Free-agent acquisition Todd Stottlemyre makes his first start for the Diamondbacks. The right-hander went 14-13 with a 3.74 ERA last season with St. Louis and Texas and pitched well toward the end of spring training. Though his ERA was 4.02 in the Cactus League, it was 2.63 in his last four starts.

- Brian Dohn

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BOX: DODGERS vs. ARIZONA (see text)