Surgery a Possibility for Karros

With the Dodgers scheduled to open the season in 11 days, first baseman Eric Karros returned to Los Angeles on Friday to determine if surgery is needed for persistent pain in his left knee.

Karros will be examined by Dr. Ralph Gamberdella on Monday, and could face surgery as early as Tuesday, the Dodgers announced.

“Eric hasn’t had a great deal of pain and wanted to keep playing, but Dr. [Frank] Jobe looked at the X-rays and was concerned enough to feel that Eric should have Dr. Gamberdella look at it,” Executive Vice President Fred Claire said. “We obviously wouldn’t send him back if we didn’t feel it was important.”

Karros left Vero Beach on Friday night and was unavailable for comment.

A Dodger spokesman said the club wasn’t sure how Karros suffered the injury but that MRI tests taken in late February and again last week suggested to Jobe the possibility of cartilage damage.

A source familiar with the situation said he was “guessing that the condition is more serious than less serious.”

The Dodgers believe three scenarios are possible:

* Karros will not require a surgical procedure and could be playing again immediately--or after a period of rest and therapy.

* He will require a simple arthroscopic procedure and be back in two to four weeks.

* He will require something more serious and sit out most or all of the season.

“It’s hard to get a feel for it,” Claire said. “I mean, we’re obviously concerned, but we really won’t know much until Monday.

“Eric’s received a lot of treatment, but it hasn’t gone away. He wanted to keep playing and see if he could work through it, but we told him to listen to the doctors and listen to the trainers and respond accordingly.”

Claire added that if Karros, who hit 31 homers and drove in 104 runs last year and has had at least 30 homers and 100 RBIs for three consecutive seasons, is sidelined, he would replace him internally rather than by trade.

“I don’t want to think in those terms, but if he was lost for any length of time the player we would use there is Paul Konerko,” Claire said.

Konerko, a catcher when drafted by the Dodgers, played first base and third base at triple-A Albuquerque last year, hitting .323 with 37 homers and 127 RBIs. He was moved to left field early this spring and had seemed to wrap up the starting role at that position, batting .310 with two homers and 12 RBIs in 19 games.

“He’s had an outstanding spring and played very well in left field,” Claire said. “Considering his lack of experience at the position, he’s been remarkable. He’s done everything we could ask for, but that being said, I don’t want to think about losing Eric. With both Eric and Paul, we’re that much stronger. We obviously know what Eric can do and will do.

“At the same time, these things happen during a season and you have to be prepared to make adjustments.

“Hopefully this won’t have a long-term impact, but we’re fortunate to have depth.”

With Konerko at first, Todd Hollandsworth would play left, and Roger Cedeno center. Hollandsworth and Cedeno have been sidelined by hamstring strains but might be ready to play Sunday, Claire said.

However, a Dodger source said that he felt Claire would ultimately consider a trade rather than play for an extended period with a lineup that included three young players--Konerko, Hollandsworth and Cedeno--all still trying to prove themselves at the major league level.

Karros, 30, has played in 267 consecutive games, and his injury is an ominous start to Rupert Murdoch’s tenure as owner.

Dodger Notes

Konerko played first base Friday as the Dodgers defeated the Baltimore Orioles, 3-2, at Ft. Lauderdale, ending the Orioles’ five-game win streak. Chan Ho Park gave up one hit and one run in five innings, but the Dodgers trailed, 2-0, before Todd Zeile hit a two-run homer off Terry Mathews in the eighth. Pinch-hitter Matt Luke and Jose Vizcaino followed with doubles to produce the decisive run. Antonio Osuna got four outs for the save, ending the game by retiring Mike Bordick on a popup with two runners on base. Doug Drabek, who joined the Orioles as a free agent this year, pitched six innings, giving up only one hit.