DODGERS NOTEBOOK : MONDESI PLAYS ADVISER ROLE AS CEDENO FILLS IN FOR BUTLER.

Roger Cedeno wanted the baseball, the one he just grounded into left field for his fifth consecutive hit, but was too embarrassed to ask. So New York Mets left-hander Bob MacDonald used it to strike out Todd Hollandsworth.

Oh well. Nothing was going to temper this for Cedeno, who on Friday night showed everyone that if he cannot replace Brett Butler in center field and in the leadoff spot, he at least can hold it for him.

``This is hard,'' said the Dodgers rookie. ``The only people who take care of that job right are people like Brett Butler. Guys who have played a long time. For a rookie, it's hard.''

Many have stood by Cedeno, the happy, soft-spoken Venezuelan who delighted in

Butler's tutelage and struggled at times in his absence. Right fielder Raul Mondesi often defines the game for Cedeno, explains its heartlessness.

``That's what Brett did for me in my first two years,'' Mondesi said. ``So I do it for Roger.''

He's back: Dodgers second baseman Delino DeShields limped out of Philadelphia with what he called a jammed back. Late Thursday night he groaned as he dressed, as he stood up, as he walked, and then he climbed onto a bus for a two-hour drive into Manhattan.

By Friday evening, he was back in the lineup at second base against the New York Mets.

``It's better,'' DeShields said.

A lot better, apparently. He attributed the recovery to the miracles of anti-inflammatory medicine, ice and massage. He said he played through it during the Dodgers' last homestand and that he would play through it again, if possible.

``There were a couple of games then that I couldn't even touch my toes,'' he said. ``This wasn't as severe as when I originally did it.''

In fact, after a couple of questions, DeShields didn't want to talk about it anymore.

``I'm in the lineup, so what do you want?,'' he said with a grin. ``Go talk to somebody who's hurt. Go talk to (Greg) Gagne or somebody.''

When the Dodgers took a 9-0 lead after four innings, DeShields was replaced at second by Chad Fonville.

Notes: Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda will wear a microphone during today's game against the Mets, courtesy of Fox. Fox will air Lasorda's utterings on a delayed basis. . . . Right-hander Darren Hall, who had elbow surgery on April 31, could begin throwing in as little as three weeks. His target date to return to a big-league mound is September 1. . . . Shortstop Greg Gagne has been told it will be one more week until he is able to play again. Gagne sprained his ankle two weeks ago. . . . Mike Blowers, who hit .205 in April, hit .289 in May.