DODGERS NOTEBOOK : WITH GOOD BAT SPEED, EYE, THOMPSON, 37, `STILL HAS IT'.

Milt Thompson, 37, had one hit in April. Three weeks later, he had one hit in May. In the last three months of 1995, while with the Houston Astros, he hit .217.

``If I thought I couldn't play, I'd retire,'' Thompson said Wednesday afternoon, before the Dodgers played the New York Mets, ``plain and simple.''

Hired in the off-season by the Dodgers to hit, Thompson had an .091 batting average, including two hits in 17 pinch at-bats, then was 3 for 4 Tuesday night in his second start of the season. On Wednesday, he was back in the starting lineup, and even moved from eighth to second in the order. Left fielder Todd Hollandsworth was rested.

``First of all, I wanted to get him some at-bats,'' Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda said. ``There's going to be a lot of times we're going to depend upon him.''

Honestly, some of those times have come and gone.

``I know he still has it,'' Lasorda said. ``He showed me that (Tuesday night). I wasn't worried about him. That's why I kept putting him up there.

``He can be a leader and he can be an asset to the team.''

Thompson has only five strikeouts in 26 at-bats, which answers the question about his bat speed. And he has five pinch walks, which says something about his batting eye. The hits just weren't falling.

``It was just a timing thing,'' said Thompson, who from the start displaced Dave Hansen as the first left-handed bat off Lasorda's bench. ``My timing was screwed up. But it was nice to get in a game and get four at-bats.

``Thing is, you can't doubt yourself.''

Also: Dodgers shortstop Greg Gagne, who sprained his ankle Friday in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies, ran in the outfield before Wednesday's game. Gagne, who missed five games three weeks ago because of a hamstring strain, gave no indication as to when he might play again. The Dodgers likely will give Gagne into the weekend before deciding whether to place him on the disabled list. . . . Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully was the recipient of Best Radio Play-by-Play and Best Television Play-by-Play at Wednesday's annual Southern California Sports Broadcasters Association awards luncheon. At the same time, former Dodgers broadcaster Jerry Doggett was inducted into the association's hall of fame. . . .