It’s true! It’s true! Dodgers send Charlie Haeger back to the rotation

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Like we needed more evidence of just how dire the Dodgers’ rotation situation is, Joe Torre said Wednesday that he is giving Charlie Haeger another start.

Haeger is scheduled to start Saturday against the Rockies.

Torre must have really, really, really loved those four innings of one-run relief Haeger pitched Tuesday against the Brewers.

Although he did offer another explanation:

‘We’re just worked down to the H’s, I guess.’

Hold back that enthusiasm.

This is the same Haeger who struggled for all of April to locate the strike zone with his knuckleball. Tuesday, he allowed one run on five hits and one walk to the Brewers.

And this was hailed as great progress. That’s the reason Torre said he was giving the ball to Haeger.

‘What he did last night, and the fact he was able to throw a lot of strikes with it,’ Torre said. ‘And even when he wasn’t throwing strikes, he was close. Hopefully he can carry that over to Saturday.’

There he goes, crossing those fingers again. I cannot understand Torre’s fascination with Haeger (0-3, 6.56 earned-run average).

The trouble is, Torre has so few options. The other leading candidate to start Saturday is Carlos Monasterios, who made his first career start Saturday, allowing one run in four innings. Monasterios also pitched three innings Tuesday, allowing a run on three hits.

Apparently, not as impressive as Haeger.

‘We looked at both [Tuesday] night and just decided that Haeger started the season as our No. 5 and [Tuesday] night was pretty much why we made that decision,’ Torre said. ‘I was watching him, and he was closer to that guy. So we just decided to got back there at this point in time.

‘Plus when you’re looking for length, he probably has more potential to give you more innings than Carlos right now.’

All of this is incredibly tentative, since the Dodgers also need another starter to replaced injured Vicente Padilla.

‘At this point in time, we’re not giving anyone any long-term guarantee,’ Torre said. ‘We’re looking to see what we see, and pretty much a decision will be made off what we see.’

Welcome to the Dodgers’ 2010 rotation. It’s a day-by-day decision. Or is that inning-by-inning decision?

Rookie John Ely is scheduled to start Thursday, but he apparently will have to pitch very well to remain on the roster when reliever Jeff Weaver is activated Friday. Ely has options left, and Haeger and Ramon Ortiz do not.

‘It’s a move where you don’t have to concern yourself with losing him,’ Torre said. ‘Even though he pitches well, he could still be one of the guys who isn’t here.’

Weaver was an emergency starter last season, but Torre said he is still committed to using him as a situational reliever. For now, of course. These things tend to change.

If they send Ely down, they’re still going to need another starter. What then? Back to Monasterios? Ortiz? Tom Candiotti?

‘We don’t think too far in advance,’ Torre said. ‘We’re looking at [Ely’s] start on Thursday. If he goes out there and gives us a chance to win, we’ll see what we see.’

Because things are so bad with the Dodgers’ rotation, another chance can be only a week away. Ask Haeger.

-- Steve Dilbeck