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Lowe and Penny are more uncertain

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Times Staff Writer

The injuries to Derek Lowe and Brad Penny could be more serious than they have been letting on.

Trainer Stan Conte clarified that Lowe has irritation in the joint of his left hip and that Penny exited Thursday’s game because of a mild abdominal strain, not a cramp, as the Dodgers announced.

Lowe and Penny’s uncertain status leaves the Dodgers with Chad Billingsley, Brett Tomko and Mark Hendrickson as their only starters who are known for sure to be healthy enough to pitch -- and Tomko and Hendrickson entered the rotation as spot starters.

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Lowe was pleased to learn Friday that an MRI exam revealed no damage to his groin and showed only irritation to his hip. But Conte explained that the hip joint is near the groin and is what caused the pain in the muscle.

Lowe, who worsened what is believed to be a pre-existing condition Wednesday in Houston, never made it to a mound Saturday. His anticipated bullpen session was postponed to either today or Tuesday, Manager Grady Little said, because Friday’s rainout pushed back the rotation and essentially gave Lowe an extra day to rest.

Lowe threw on flat ground for a second consecutive day and said he felt much better than he did Friday. The slight discomfort Lowe felt Friday was attributed to the contrast material injected into his groin for the MRI exam.

“It was 100 times better,” said Lowe, who had hip problems as a minor leaguer.

But Lowe maintained that he wouldn’t know if he could make his next start until throwing off a mound.

The Dodgers are also taking a wait-and-see approach with Penny, who played catch Saturday and is scheduled to throw a short bullpen session today.

Conte said that Penny has had a strain in the lower right part of his abdominal muscle for his last couple of starts. The Dodgers’ initial diagnosis of a cramp was made by Penny himself.

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Because Little doesn’t know if Lowe or Penny can pitch Tuesday, he said he hadn’t decided on a starter for that day against the San Francisco Giants.

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On the chair in front of Olmedo Saenz’s locker was a cake with icing that read, “Congrats on your start.”

Playing first base Saturday, Saenz was making his first start since June 23 at Tampa Bay. Between those starts, Saenz was one for 13.

“Definitely, I need at-bats,” Saenz said. “If you don’t play, it’s hard to hit a baseball.”

Saenz has started only nine games this season, including four as a designated hitter. He said he accepted his role as a pinch-hitter, especially because the Dodgers are in first place.

But, he said, “Sometimes, it’s good to get out [on the field] and get the blood flowing. It makes you get in the rhythm of the game.”

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Rumors that Mark Teixeira could end up with the Dodgers are only rumors, at least at this stage. The Texas Rangers approached the Dodgers about a possible deal involving Teixeira, but asked for significantly more than the Dodgers were willing to give, according to a well-placed baseball source.

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Randy Wolf will make a second rehabilitation start, but the date and place of that assignment are unknown. Wolf is still experiencing stiffness in his left shoulder as a result of his rehab start Wednesday ... Russell Martin wasn’t in the Dodgers’ lineup for the second day in a row to rest his sore back.... Chin-hui Tsao’s shoulder strength is at 90-95%. The reliever won’t start a throwing program until he is back at full strength.

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dylan.hernandez@latimes.com

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