DODGERS NOTEBOOK: TRACY: ROSS 'LUXURY'.

Byline: Rich Hammond  Staff Writer

VERO BEACH, Fla. - In manager Jim Tracy's quest to ``lengthen'' the Dodgers' lineup by moving Paul Lo Duca down in the order, backup catcher David Ross is really the one on the stretching machine.

Tracy's plan is predicated on the idea Lo Duca can produce offensively for an entire season, and that means giving him more days off from catching. That's where Ross comes in.

The Dodgers believe Ross is capable of playing a major role, perhaps even carrying a majority of the load behind the plate if the Dodgers need Lo Duca in left field. Ross showed enough last season, when he appeared in 40 games and hit 10 home runs in 124 at-bats, to catch Tracy's eye.

``When you look at his home-run ration, with the number of at-bats he got, it's pretty interesting,'' Tracy said. ``There's no question in my mind that this guy can play and there's no question that he's at the point where he can understand our program and what we're about from a pitcher-catcher standpoint.

``For me to say that if the guy got 500 at-bats, he could hit 20 or more home runs; I don't think that's a stretch. Ross, in our situation, is a luxury for us. It's what Ross is doing from a progress standpoint and what Lo Duca can do from a flexibility standpoint. That's what gives you an opportunity to think about a few things that otherwise you might have no chance of doing.''

Ross, 26, started last season in Triple-A but was called up in early May, after Todd Hundley's back injury, and stayed for the rest of the season. Tracy often made mention of Ross' potential and praised his defensive work and ability to handle the Dodgers' talented pitching staff.

But Ross' success in an increased role is no sure bet. The main knock against him is that he struck out 43 times last season, an average of more than one per every three at-bats. The power is there, but Ross might need to become a little more conservative, lower the strikeout total and raise his .258 batting average.

``I need to get better with everything,'' Ross said. ``Every day, if I let things slip at all, I'm falling behind. I especially need to cut down on strikeouts and put the ball in play regularly, because I know my numbers are pretty good when I put the ball in play.

``I guess anything is possible as far as what their expectations are for me this year. I got a lot of great experience last year and my goal is to keep building off of that.''

--Back to normal: Odalis Perez, complained of continued back discomfort Thursday and feared he might need X-rays, said Sunday he has returned to 100 percent.

``It's much better now,'' Perez said. ``I'm not worried about it.''

Perez said he received aggressive treatment after the flare-up Thursday and doesn't expect the back to be a problem for the rest of spring training, but he will not pitch in either of this week's intrasquad games.

--Getting ready: Tracy announced Hideo Nomo will start Wednesday's exhibition opener against the New York Mets, a game that will be televised nationally by ESPN.

The Dodgers will play their first five-inning intrasquad game this afternoon, with Jeff Weaver (Simi Valley High) starting and pitching one inning. Wilson Alvarez and Edwin Jackson will start Tuesday's game.

--Big progress: Second baseman Alex Cora, recovering from a broken right arm, will start throwing at short distance today and will field ground balls this week. That's good news for Cora, whose status for opening day had been in question since he was injured in a winter-league game in January.

--Status report: Tom Martin reported soreness in his right knee but is scheduled to throw one inning in today's game. ... Paul Lo Duca had a sore hand and did not participate in catching drills. ... The Dodgers will hold their open tryout this morning, and they still expect Jose Canseco to attend.

Rich Hammond, [phone]

rich.hammond(at)dailynews.com

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ODALIS PEREZ

Although he will not pitch in this week's games, he said he is 100 percent.