Don Mattingly downplays Carlos Quentin return to lineup

Carlos Quentin returns to the lineup for the Padres on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, his first game against the Dodgers since he broke Zack Greinke's collarbone in a brawl at Petco Park on Apr. 11. But manager Don Mattingly downplayed the issue.

"I don't really anticipate anything. He gets hit a lot, so if he gets hit, he gets hit," Mattingly said. "I don't mean that in a bad way, but it's the way you have to pitch him."

Quentin has led the major leagues in getting hit by pitch in each of the last two seasons, including 17 HBP in just 86 games in 2012. Quentin was hit at least 15 times in each of the last five seasons, for a total of 95 HBP from 2008-2012, tied with Chase Utley for the most in baseball during that span.

"We've got to try to pitch him in, and if we get somebody hit I'm not going to look at it like we're starting a war here. They are going to try to get us out, and pitching in is part of that," Mattingly said. "You pretty much know when guys are getting thrown at. Guys know it. If that's going on, it's going on. I anticipate us trying to get him out."

Quentin, who has been hit five times in 147 plate appearances this season, is batting cleanup for San Diego.

Mattingly said umpires didn't warn both teams before Monday's game, nor did they do so before the Padres' last series in Los Angeles, in April. When asked about Padres fans wanting Greinke to bat against San Diego, Mattingly got playful.

"Crazy San Diego. They are always wanting to start fights in San Diego, it's a rough place. With the beaches, and sometimes it gets up to 75," Mattingly quipped. "I really don't think it's that big of an issue. Maybe I'm underscoring it or underplaying it. It sounds like (Quentin and Greinke) have even talked. It just doesn't feel like an issue."

Notes

• Chris Capuano was placed on the disabled list after an MRI showed a strained lat muscle. "We learned he had enough to make this Saturday questionable. It didn't make any sense (to start him)," Mattingly said. "Once we got that MRI, it was pretty easy."
• Stephen Fife, who picked up his first major league win on Monday, will start Saturday.
• Hanley Ramirez had a big smile on his face in both the clubhouse and dugout, anxious to play his fifth game of the season. He sounded confident in his hamstring. "It feels good. I got a double and ran hard. I got a ground ball in the hole at shortstop and ran 100%, and didn't feel anything," Ramirez said. "You just have to be smart."
• Ramirez also no longer wears a splint on his thumb, and will play without tape on his right thumb and wrist on Tuesday. Monday, in his final game with Class-A Rancho, was the first time Ramirez played without tape since returning from surgery to repair his torn right thumb ligament.
• Josh Beckett will return to the Dodgers on Wednesday after visiting a nerve specialist on Monday in Dallas. Mattingly didn't have full details but characterized Beckett's injury as a nerve problem. The injury won't require surgery but it sounds like Beckett will still be out a while. "I doesn't feel like it's right around the corner that he'll be ready to go," Mattingly said.
• Mark Ellis returns to the starting lineup for the first time in three games after dealing with a light groin issue. Ellis did appear in each of the last two contests as a pinch hitter, but hasn't played second base since Saturday.

Game info

Time: 7:10 p.m.

TV: KCAL

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