PHOENIX -- Manny Ramirez, who had three singles Friday, will bat third this year in the Dodgers' lineup, manager Joe Torre said.

"We just want him up as often as possible," Torre said of batting Ramirez third. "After we inserted him in the three-hole last year, he seemed pretty comfortable there."

Ramirez, who went 3-for-3 against the Royals, was moved from fourth to third in the lineup Aug. 28 and stayed there through the successful stretch run and the postseason. Torre indicated the cleanup hitter protecting Ramirez might vary depending on whether the opposing starting pitcher is right- or left-handed.

Last year against left-handed pitching, Torre batted right-handed-hitting Russell Martin fourth after Jeff Kent was injured. This spring against right-handed pitching, Torre has usually used left-handed-hitting Andre Ethier at cleanup.

Torre used a batting order Friday similar to what he plans to use this season, except that third baseman Casey Blake was out attending to the birth of his third child. The lineup: Rafael Furcal, Orlando Hudson, Ramirez, Ethier, Martin, James Loney, Matt Kemp. Blake DeWitt hit eighth in place of Blake.

Ethier had only 10 at-bats in the fourth spot last year, going 4-for-10. Martin had 72 at-bats batting fourth and hit .333. Except for much of last August, Kent had been the Dodgers' cleanup hitter for the past four years until his retirement this winter. Ramirez has made it clear he'd prefer to bat third.

"Anybody can get three hits in Spring Training," Ramirez said, jokingly, after the Dodgers' 4-1 loss to Kansas City. "They're pitching to me because I'm a singles hitter. They're not even pitching to Ethier. They're saying, 'He keeps hitting singles, we'll be scared of Ethier.'"

Ramirez again played left field Friday and said he felt no discomfort in the left hamstring that sidelined him for a week.

"It feels good knowing my leg is coming around," he said. "I still feel a little behind, but in three or four days it'll be good. I always have it in my mind, but I'm still running. I went hard after that ball [a double into the corner, similar to the play that aggravated the hamstring]."

Ramirez conceded that after his late arrival to Spring Training, he tried to rush his conditioning with extra running and wished he hadn't.

"I should have been smarter," Ramirez said. "I was trying to do this with more running. I tried to catch up. I'm a little bit mad at myself that I didn't take it easy. I've got to keep working. The hard part is to stay healthy. They've got me running, stretching, in the pool. Playing the game is the easy part."

In addition to chasing down a double in the corner, Ramirez charged a Ross Gload single Friday and came up throwing to the plate, holding runner John Buck at third base. He said he intends to remain in left field for the rest of Spring Training.

"I need to go out there and take fly balls and field ground balls. We've got no designated hitter here," he said. "I've got my Gold Glove. I'm not thinking blue, I'm thinking gold."

Torre said he was impressed by the aggressiveness Ramirez showed in the outfield and on the bases, citing a secondary lead off second base that required him to slide back to avoid a pickoff.

Torre also said he liked what he saw from his bullpen in the game. Hong-Chih Kuo (one inning) and Guillermo Mota (2/3 of an inning) -- both assured of relief jobs -- didn't allow a hit.

Jeff Weaver and Erick Threets -- contending for relief jobs -- pitched effectively. Weaver pitched a scoreless inning, striking out three. Threets -- competing with Brian Mazone for the second left-hander job -- retired both left-handed hitters he faced.

Torre also indicated that Delwyn Young could start the season on the disabled list because of his right elbow and the same is possible for Claudio Vargas. Mark Loretta said he is confident he will make the Opening Day roster despite a right groin strain and expects to play in three or four days.