PHOENIX » Being the lead man may be a new role for Shane Victorino, but it will have little effect on his contribution to the Philadelphia Phillies.

At the start of the season, his presence in the lineup has changed, but not his stature. Because traditional leadoff hitter Jimmy Rollins is currently shelved with a strained right calf, manager Charlie Manuel thrust Victorino into Rollins' top spot in the lineup. No problem. Just a continued desire to help keep this team remain among the elite.

The bottom line is winning, and Victorino has certainly contributed to the recent success of the franchise. As two-time defending National League champions, a 2008 World Series title and a repeat return to the 2009 Fall Classic, Victorino remains in the mix to help push the Phillies again late into October.

When general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. signed Placido Polanco to play third and hit second in the offseason, Victorino, traditionally the Phillies' No. 2 hitter, was penciled in to hit seventh. That all changed when Rollins went down.

“;Doesn't bother me where I hit,”; Victorino said. “;You can't change the hitter you are, so where I hit is not a concern. Sure, there are different situations you face, but where I hit in the lineup is not an issue.”;

Through the opening three weeks of the season, Victornio's numbers are down. Last season, he hit .292 with 39 doubles and a league-leading 13 triples.

Through the Phillies' first 17 games, the native of Wailuku and St. Anthony was hitting .213, but second on the team in RBIs.

If Victorino has no preference in the batting order, Manuel is in total agreement.

“;(Victorino) is a big talent, and we let his talent play out,”; said the Phillies' skipper. “;I like his swing, and so far, I've seen nothing different in the leadoff spot, in his approach. He is one guy on this team who always plays to his ability.”;

Victorino conceded the major difference from leading off and hitting lower in the lineup is the opportunity to drive in more runs. Bouncing through the lineup does not have a negative effect on disciplined hitters.

Case in point is Kelly Johnson, the Diamondbacks' second baseman. Through Sunday's games, Johnson was tied for the National League lead in home runs with teammate Mark Reynolds and the Dodgers' Matt Kemp. In the Diamondbacks' first 17 games, Johnson led off seven times, hit third once, fifth twice, seventh three times and eighth four times.

“;When you're doing your job, it doesn't make any difference where you hit,”; Johnson said. “;Personally, I don't care where I hit, and no matter where it is, I don't change my approach or anything else.”;

Right now, Victorino echoes that assertion. He remains in the leadoff spot, and could be there for some time. That's because Rollins is not sure of his return. With that, Victorino will continue to hit first in Manuel's lineup.

“;I never had an injury like this one before, so I'm taking my time coming back,”; Rollins said. “;I will start running a little and see how things go. It's still early in the season. I don't want to complicate this and be out for a while.”;

While Victorino remains a key component of this championship team, he has not ignored his roots.

Building on success of his past charity golf tournaments, he continues to sponsor The Celebrities Golf Tournament benefiting the Hawaii Children's Cancer Foundation. That tournament will take place again in November. This event was so successful last year, Victorino said he plans to expand to two golf courses. More than 120 golfers participated in 2009.

“;This event gets bigger and bigger each year,”; he said. “;Last year, (teammate) Ryan Howard participated and we had a bunch of local celebrities. This year, we're also planning a second event in Philly. The details still have to be finalized, but this will benefit kids and wellness.”;

For future events, Victorino said his charity efforts will concentrate in two areas. While children's causes remain a passion, Alzheimer's is also important to him. His grandmother suffered from the disease.

For now, the immediate task at hand is to assist the Phillies in the pursuit of their third straight NL pennant.

If that happens, they will be the first NL squad to three-peat as pennant winners since the 1942-44 St. Louis Cardinals.