Stop the presses! Dioner Navarro slips ahead of Rod Barajas

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Here’s some news that’s sure to make your day: Dioner Navarro has moved ahead of Rod Barajas as the Dodgers’ primary catcher.

Anyway, in that sort-of-maybe-not-really way of manager Don Mattingly’s.

Navarro started again Monday, meaning he’s started four of the past five games. Meanwhile, Barajas is in a 1-for-24 slump, the hit coming in his most recent at-bat.

Asked if Navarro was now is main catcher, Mattingly went on and on about matchups and lefties vs. righties and some other nonsense, finishing with:

‘Rod’s going to play some.’

Such a vote of confidence.

Pushed, Mattingly allowed that the switch-hitting Navarro is going to start against right-handers, and since there are more of them than lefties, he figures to play more.

‘So in a sense …’

Yeah, not thinking it’s going to make a whole lot of difference either way. Barajas is hitting .210 and Navarro .202. Barajas does have eight home runs -- sadly third on the team -- but has hit only one since May 17.

At least Navarro has show some life of late, batting .303 with an .880 on-base, plus slugging percentage in his past 12 games.

So compared to his 1-for-15 since Barajas came off the disabled list with a sprained ankle, Navarro is tearing it up.

Of course, back at triple-A Albuquerque catcher A.J. Ellis is on a home-run hitting spree. True story, after not hitting a home run at any level for almost three seasons, Ellis has hit two in four games. RELATED:

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-- Steve Dilbeck