LOS ANGELES -- Manny Ramirez wasn't ready to play a full game Wednesday, but he
was ready to play around.

"The bobblehead is playing left tonight," Ramirez said, before being limited to
pinch-hitting duties on his Manny Ramirez Bobblehead Night giveaway with a hand
still sore after taking a 95-mph fastball off it Tuesday night.

Ramirez's hand looked fine in the sixth inning when he pinch-hit for pitcher
Chad Billingsley and delivered his 21st career grand slam. The shot proved to be
the deciding blow in the Dodgers' 6-2 victory.

X-rays were negative and Ramirez was diagnosed with a bruise of the side of his
left hand. He originally was in the lineup Wednesday night, but only because of
a miscommunication with the coaching staff.

"He gave [bench coach Bob] Schaefer a thumbs-up and we wrote him into the
lineup, but I backtracked and talked to the trainer who said it was bothering
him a little," said manager Joe Torre. "No sense going out there. He's available
to pinch-hit, but with the off-day [Thursday], we won't push it. It's just a
bruise."

Ramirez, who had the hand wrapped, said he feared the worst when the pitch hit
him.

"It was bad, but thank God, it's not broken," he said. "It was real sore. Yeah I
was worried, but thank God the X-rays came negative, so everything's fine."

Juan Pierre started for Ramirez in left field, leaving Manny to spend the
pregame joking with teammates and reporters and showing off the bobblehead,
which came complete with a coating of pine tar on the batting helmet.

"It looks great. It's OK, it's not my first bobblehead," he said. "I love it.
They even put the wrist strap in the back. But my pocket's not out. They messed
up that. They haven't given me any. I took this one from the training room."

Source: Ken Gurnick / MLB.com