DODGERS NOTEBOOK: WHATEVER HE DOES, IT WORKS.

Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer

Rickey Henderson is in excellent shape, but it can't be attributed to endless hours in the weight room. Henderson doesn't lift weights and hasn't for a long time.

``I run about five or six miles a day,'' Henderson said. ``I don't like to lift weights. I feel tight when I do. I do about 100-150 sit-ups a day and 100-150 push-ups.''

Henderson, 44, still is out there playing major-league ball with the youngsters. And after all these years, he can still do the splits. It just takes a little longer to warm up to that point, he said with an infectious laugh.

He's a big believer in stretching.

``A lot of those guys like to bulk up and they don't stretch enough,'' Henderson. ``I don't like that feeling.''

In the offseason, Henderson and a friend run at about 6 or 6:30 every morning. He won't pick up a ball or bat in the offseason but has a daily routine he adheres to religiously, with the exception of Sundays.

``I don't feel right if I don't do it,'' Henderson said.

--McGriff report: Fred McGriff ran at nearly full speed for a second consecutive day and is expected to try to run angles today if he feels no discomfort in his right knee.

Dodgers manager Jim Tracy said McGriff will go on a rehabilitation stint when he's ready, but the minor-league teams are done at the end of August.

``You're making your way in that direction,'' Tracy said.

McGriff originally went on the disabled list with a groin strain but has been bothered by the sprained knee.

``He's much closer to the level he needs to run at to play,'' physical therapist Pat Screnar said. ``He's had three or four good days of running in the outfield. There's a couple more things he needs to test further.''

--Lefties in the lineup: Tracy had six left-handed batters, including pitcher Odalis Perez, in his starting lineup Wednesday. He had no left-handed pinch hitters available.

--Future stars: Cesar Izturis was ranked first by Baseball America in a feature on the next generation of infielders with the best tools. Adrian Beltre ranked third.

Edwin Jackson is ranked the top pitching prospect in the Double-A Southern League.

--News and notes: Sunday's matchup features Kevin Brown, with the league's lowest ERA at 2.13. against Cubs sensation Mark Prior, a USC product. ... Scott Mullen made his major-league debut as a starter Sunday. He did so with borrowed shoes and a borrowed glove because his equipment bag was lost on the flight to Atlanta. ... Mullen and left-handed bench player Larry Barnes cleared waivers and were optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas. ... Chuckie Tiffany, a hard-throwing right-hander from Covina who was the Dodgers' second-round draft pick in June, signed a contract Wednesday. Tiffany, 18, a member of the 2002 USA Junior National Team, will report to the Dodgers' rookie affiliate in Ogden, Utah.