DODGERS NOTEBOOK: VALENTIN FIELDS GROUNDBALLS.

Byline: Rich Hammond  Staff Writer

Jose Valentin took a step toward returning to baseball, even if he didn't really take any steps at all.

Valentin, who hasn't played since May 3 because of torn ligaments in his right knee, returned to the field for the first time in eight weeks Wednesday morning and fielded groundballs hit directly at him.

It was a small, but significant, first step for Valentin, who hopes to begin a minor-league rehabilitation stint in two weeks and could return to the Dodgers by late July. The return of the 35-year-old Valentin would bring some stability to what has been a revolving door at third base, but there's work to do.

``After eight weeks away from the game, just to be able to take groundballs, I feel like a rookie coming out of the minor leagues back to the majors,'' Valentin said.

The Dodgers' medical staff fitted Valentin with a substantial brace that runs halfway up his right thigh. Rehab will progress slowly, focused on one activity at a time, because if Valentin should have a setback, the training staff wants to be able to determine which activity caused it.

Valentin's replacements at third base - Mike Edwards, Antonio Perez and Olmedo Saenz - have fared well offensively, but his absence has taxed the Dodgers' depth. Valentin has hit at least 25 home runs in each of the past five seasons, and the Dodgers could use his veteran presence in the lineup.

``I've been suffering,'' Valentin said. ``It's not fun to see your team go down. I'm not saying they're losing because I'm not playing, but when you want to play so hard and do something for your team, it's hard to sit and watch.''

--On second thought: One day after he raised the possibility of Odalis Perez starting Sunday, manager Jim Tracy shelved the idea. Instead, Perez (sore shoulder) will throw 75 to 80 pitches in a fourth rehab start for Triple-A Las Vegas tonight and will return to the rotation Tuesday in Colorado.

D.J. Houlton will start Sunday, and Jeff Weaver will start Monday. Elmer Dessens, as expected, returns to the bullpen. Tracy said he wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to give Perez an extra rehab start because Perez threw only 64 pitches in his last outing.

Perez had an animated conversation with pitching coach Jim Colborn as he entered the clubhouse, and his mood was a bit more dour than the day before, when he thought he might pitch Sunday.

``A little bit,'' Perez said when asked if he was disappointed, ``but if it's best to go down there and start one more time and make more pitches, then that's fine.''

Part of Perez's unhappiness could have been related to the fact that he will start Tuesday at Coors Field. In his last start there, Perez allowed seven earned runs and 10 hits in five innings.

``The only other choice you have is to feel like you're rushing him back,'' Tracy said, ``and you don't want to do that.''

A return Tuesday allows Perez to pitch July 10, in the final game before the All-Star break.