DODGERS SPRING TRAINING NOTEBOOK : ASHLEY UNCLEAR ABOUT HIS FATE.

Byline: Kevin Acee Daily News Staff Writer

The incumbent spent another day in the training room. The kid who was supposed to take over for him spent another day hitless.

And Billy Ashley spent another day wondering. He is battling for a position that may not exist.

Ashley knows he is playing well enough that plans may have changed to include him. This is apparent in the fact he is hitless in the past two games.

``He's been pressing,'' manager Bill Russell said Saturday after the Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 4-3 in a spring training game.

But Ashley also knows this for a fact: ``It might not matter if I hit .900 with 15 home runs this spring.''

That hasn't changed since the first day of spring training, when it seemed like Roger Cedeno was going to be there to take over in center field if Brett Butler's comeback from cancer falls short.

But now, at least, things are more hopeful for Ashley.

Cedeno has since gone 3 for 18, including 0 for 1 Saturday. His ability in center field has also been a letdown. Ashley's batting average dropped to .273 after Saturday's 0-for-2 effort. But he is the only player to have started every game. He has impressed with his defense in left field and has a team-high two home runs and six RBI.

If Butler can't play, it appears more likely now that Todd Hollandsworth will move from left field to center, and Ashley will start in left.

``I hope so,'' Ashley said. ``What else could they do? But I'm at the mercy of whatever they want to do.''

Cedeno, who played in 86 games for the Dodgers last season, knows he has perhaps let his chance at winning the job outright slip by.

``I don't feel like I'm really playing good,'' he said. ``You get disappointed a little bit, but I hopefully will have more chances.''

Hollandsworth, the 1996 National League Rookie of the Year, is game for anything. He started in center field for the second time Saturday.

``I'm preparing myself to be able to play everywhere,'' he said. ``I enjoy playing center field. It's a challenge. It's fun to be the leader out there.''

Butler, meanwhile, spent his second straight morning having his hip worked on. The 39-year-old center fielder, attempting to play one more year after cancer surgery cut short his 1996 season, left after one inning of Thursday's game against the Houston Astros with a hip flexor. Butler said he may run today and make a judgment after that when he is ready to play.

Good move: Raul Mondesi has a team-high nine hits. Five of them are doubles.

It appears the experiment of having him bat third in the batting order is no longer an experiment.

``Mondy looks good in the third spot,'' Russell said. ``He's really brought what he was working on at the end of last year here.''

The question regarding Mondesi's readiness to bat third was about his patience. His penchant for swinging at the first pitch worried Russell.

``He's matured a lot,'' the manager said. ``He's a lot more patient and selective at the plate.''

Mondesi, who hit mostly in the fifth spot last season, is batting .409 (22 at-bats) with a team-leading eight runs.

Injuries: Rookie second baseman Wilton Guerrero hit in the cages for the first time since leaving Thursday's game in the middle of an at-bat complaining of shoulder pain. He said the pain is subsiding. With seven hits in his 13 at-bats, Guerrero has established himself as the favorite to win the second-base job.

Pitcher Kirk Dressendorfer, a non-roster invitee, left the game in the fourth inning after being struck by a Rafael Belliard line drive. Dressendorfer suffered a bruise above the wrist of his throwing (right) arm.

DODGERS in VERO BEACH, Fla.

FACT: Mike Piazza's lifetime batting average of .326 is fourth among active players. He trails Tony Gwynn (.337), Wade Boggs (.333) and Frank Thomas (.327).

NOTE: Ramon Martinez, who allowed five earned runs in four innings in his first spring-training start last week, pitched three shutout innings Saturday as the Dodgers beat the Braves 4-3. Martinez allowed two hits, walked four and struck out three.

QUOTE: ``I'm ready to build on that. I had a great year. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The pressure is off now. I'm just going to relax.''

- Todd Hollandsworth on following up his Rookie of the Year season.

ANGELS in TEMPE, Ariz.

FACT: In their ninth try, the Angels finally won a spring training game, 6-3, over Seattle in Tempe, Ariz. OK, so the Mariners left the bulk of their starting lineup - Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez, Alex Rodriguez, Jay Buhner, Dan Wilson, Joey Cora and Paul Sorrento - back in Peoria. But they still had a chance to win, loading the bases in the ninth before Angels reliever Troy Percival got a pop out to end it. Gary DiSarcina, Randy Velarde and Darin Erstad homered.

NOTE:Angels manager Terry Collins inserted musician Bruce Hornsby as a pinch-runner for Kevin Bass with two outs in the seventh and his team ahead by three runs. Hornsby was left stranded when George Arias popped out to right field to end the inning.

QUOTE: ``I've played concerts before 100,000 people, but my heart never pounded in my chest like today. The game was still close and who knows how I could have screwed it up. I ran out there and (first-base coach) Dave Parker looked like he was going to faint. He said I looked the same way.''

- Bruce Hornsby, on his day in the show.

CAPTION(S):

Photo, Box

Photo: Dodgers catcher Mike Piazza speaks with a group of Florida Little Leaguers before the game with Atlanta.

Associated Press

Box: Spring Training '97 (see text)