Dodger Notebook : Honeycutt’s Added Velocity Has Improved His Sinkerball

VERO BEACH, Fla. â€”  Rick Honeycutt, who came down here knowing he’d be pushed to protect his spot in the Dodgers’ starting rotation after finishing with an 8-12 record last season, continued to draw rave notices Tuesday.

That’s a February tradition, to be sure, but at this time last year Honeycutt was just beginning to come back from off-season shoulder surgery, and continued to experience pain during the season.

“You can see he has more velocity, and the velocity is acting on his sinker,� said Dodger catcher Mike Scioscia, who had a bat shorn in half by Honeycutt during the left-hander’s 15-minute stint in batting practice.

“It’s not straightening out the ball. It’s a hard sinker, and that’s what’s working for him.

“That’s encouraging. It shows he has his release point, and throwing the ball well.�

Pitching coach Ron Perranoski watched approvingly. “His ball is moving consistently and with better velocity, and it’s that consistency you want,� he said.

“The main thing is he’s pain free and not protecting anything. He’s always had great first halves (of seasons). But then his arm gets tired. But coming back from rehabilitation with no pain, that’s a good sign.�

Perranoski’s other prime patient, Alejandro Pena, will throw again today. “He’s throwing the ball well, with good arm speed,� Perranoski said. “We have to see how his arm holds up. But all signs now are that there’s no pain.�

Catcher Gilberto Reyes, on the other hand, couldn’t hide the fact that he was hurting. Reyes missed Tuesday’s workout after catching a foul tip in the groin Monday.

Dodger Notes

Dodger coach Joe Amalfitano, who interviewed for the Padre managing job after the 1981 season, said he was not contacted before the Padres hired Steve Boros as Dick Williams’ replacement Tuesday. . . . Perranoski said that he has decided to have newly acquired relief pitcher Ed Vande Berg to all but abandon his slider for now. “We asked him to can that for a while,� Perranoski said. “He has such an outstanding curveball, we don’t want to see him hurt his arm. He was only throwing the slider to left-handers, anyway.� Perranoski said he also wants Vande Berg to throw more fastballs. Vande Berg enjoyed most of his success in the American League because of his slider, which his former manager, Rene Lachemann, likened to that of Yankee ace Ron Guidry when Vande Berg first came up. . . . Pedro Guerrero, as expected, still was not in camp Tuesday night and is not expected to be in uniform for today’s first workout of the full squad.