LOS ANGELES — With the Los Angeles Dodgers' offense ranking among the worst in the National League, the club is expected to change hitting coaches at the All-Star break by replacing Mike Easler with Don Mattingly, according to sources close to the situation who requested anonymity because the move hasn't been finalized.

Mattingly is due to take over when the Dodgers start the second half of the season in Arizona on July 18.

Manager Joe Torre declined to comment.

If Easler is dismissed, the Dodgers would have let go a hitting coach in midseason for the second consecutive season. Bill Mueller replaced Eddie Murray last June.

Easler, who is expected to be reassigned within the organization, is the Dodgers' eighth hitting coach in the past 10 seasons. The Dodgers appointed him last January, after Mattingly resigned from the coaching staff to tend to family matters amid his divorce proceedings.

Mattingly, a career .307 hitter with the New York Yankees, was on Torre's staff in New York and was signed to be his Dodgers hitting coach in November. After his resignation, he stayed on as a special assignment coach and has joined the team when it has traveled to the Midwest, near his Indiana home.

Mattingly has told the Dodgers that he is ready to coach for the remainder of the season. Mattingly's agent, Ray Schulte, did not return a phone message Tuesday.

The Dodgers lead the National League in ERA but rank among the bottom five in runs, hits, home runs, walks, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

Also, Brad Penny isn't expected to be sent on a minor league rehab assignment until after the All-Star break, Torre said.

Penny received a cortisone injection in his stiff right shoulder, which has prevented him from pitching since May 14. Hiroki Kuroda received a similar injection.

"Hopefully, he'll have the same result Kuroda had," Torre said of the right-hander who almost pitched a perfect game Monday night. "Everybody's going to be lining up for one."