Roger

Cedeño

Cedeno started all three times the Cardinals faced Clemens during the regular season.

Roberto Alomar hit leadoff yesterday and might continue to do so. Expect Timo Perez to get the majority of the playing time in center field for now. Tsuyoshi Shinjo should start against left-handers. If you still own Cedeno in a shallow mixed league, drop him.

Cedeno said the injury wasn’t serious, but he didn’t say when he might return.

Cedeno was clocked at 111 mph while driving on the night of Dec. 4. He was previously arrested in November 2002 and charged for driving under the influence of alcohol, though he eventually pleaded no contest to a lesser charge. His agent, Peter Greenberg, said that this latest incident was nothing more than a speeding ticket.

Cedeno is day-to-day.

“He’ll come off the bench, start some games, I’ll play him in left and right field, pinch-hit him. He’s a switch-hitter with speed and we’ll use every one of his talents,” La Russa said. The Cardinals aren’t lacking in speed off the bench (Cedeno, Marlon Anderson, Hector Luna, So Taguchi, Cody McKay) but are sorely missing pinch-hitting power.

Manager Art Howe might like to take a chance on Long, but we don’t see what’s really in this for the Mets. The Padres would like it since it would save them $3.55 million over the next two years.

Cedeno has been out since the first week of the season with a strained left hamstring. He could return next week.

''He’s doing fine,’' trainer Barry Weinberg said. ''We’ll get him back on the field on Tuesday. When he feels like he’s running sufficiently, then it becomes a baseball decision.’' Manager Tony La Russa said Cedeno would go on a rehab assignment before returning.

He has reported no difficulties with his strained left hamstring muscle that has kept him out of action since the first week of the season. Cedeno, who is 4-19 in six games with the Redbirds, needs to get his timing down at the plate before returning to St.Louis.