Belisario said he did everything he could to get to camp on time

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The curious case of Ronald Belisario hardly seems cleared up with the arrival of the missing right-hander.

After arriving to camp five weeks late after Saturday’s game, Belisario would not speak to reporters. When he did Sunday morning, he denied any wrongdoing and said he could be ready to pitch in a major-league game within a week.

Belisario said his visa was held up because of his DUI arrest last summer, and, despite comments by his agent and the Dodgers, that he did not miss any appointments with the U.S. consultant.

‘I never missed appointments,’’ Belisario said. ‘Maybe they think that I missed it, but no. They denied me the visa. After that, they gave me the exams.

‘I had to go like two times a week. They just said that we denied you a visa because of the DUI.’

Belisario was not upset when told that Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti and his agent, Paul Kinzer, said he missed appointments. He simply smiled and denied it.

Belisario said he did everything within his power to get to camp as soon as possible.

He also said he was unaware that he had been placed on the restricted list.

‘They don’t talk to me about that,’ he said. ‘I don’t know anything about it.’

Belisario also said he was not in communication with his lawyer and was unaware of the lesser charge to which he ended up pleading guilty.

He said when the U.S. embassy held up his initial visa request, it required him to undergo additional testing -- including psychological and for drugs -- several times per week.

Belisario said he had been throwing ‘like every day’’ and throwing in the bullpen twice a week.

The Dodgers placed the right-hander on the restricted list, where he can remain for 30 days and not count against the 40-man roster. He will not be paid while on the restricted list. He is scheduled to remain in Arizona when the Dodgers break camp on Wednesday.

Belisario said he was aware the team was upset he had arrived to camp 35 days late.

‘Well, I read something in the news,’’ he said. ‘My agent told me that they’re upset because I didn’t get here.’

Belisario said he was hopeful once he explained his side of the story, the team would no longer be upset with him. He said the team had received him well.

‘I’m getting crazy over there because they’re not giving me the visa,’ he said. ‘But, you know, I took it easy, kept practicing.’’

Belisario pitched in 70 2/3 innings last season for the Dodgers, with an impressive 2.04 ERA.

-- Steve Dilbeck and Dylan Hernandez