Perez Probably Bumped

Dodger Manager Davey Johnson dropped strong hints Tuesday that struggling pitcher Carlos Perez will temporarily be bumped from the starting rotation.

With two days off scheduled during the next six days, Johnson and pitching coach Charlie Hough don’t want Kevin Brown, Chan Ho Park and Ismael Valdes, the top three starters, to have their schedules drastically altered. Perez, fourth in the rotation, appears to be the odd man out because he is 0-3 with an 8.31 earned-run average in three starts.

The left-hander is coming off the worst performance by a Dodger starter to this point, getting pounded for eight hits and six runs in an 11-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Monday.

“Pretty much,” Johnson responded, when asked had he already decided to bump Perez. “It probably wouldn’t hurt Carlos to have a couple of good side-works. Except for [Monday], he’s pitched pretty well. Except when he goes, he goes quickly.”

Johnson said he’s still considering his options because he has time.

Johnson wanted to observe right-hander Darren Dreifort in Tuesday night’s game against the Braves before making his decision. Dreifort was impressive in his previous outing last Thursday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, giving up one run in seven innings in an 8-1 victory, but he was wild on Tuesday.

“Whether it [the decision] is or not [already made], this is not the right time to announce it,” Johnson said. “I’ll announce it once we get through this part of the rotation.”

*

The Dodgers continue to work on their unsettled bullpen, purchasing the contract of right-handed reliever Jamie Arnold from triple-A Albuquerque and designating backup catcher Rick Wilkins for assignment.

Right-hander Antonio Osuna was only recently activated from the disabled list, and right-hander Robinson Checo, pounded in his Dodger debut Monday, is getting accustomed to his new surroundings after being acquired from the Detroit Tigers in a trade Friday. Alan Mills, the primary right-handed setup man, has a slightly sore throwing shoulder, Johnson said, so the manager wanted Arnold with the big club.

Arnold, 25, gave up one run in eight innings with the Dukes. He pitched well for the Dodgers during spring training, going 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA.

Arnold was the Braves’ first-round pick in the 1992 draft. He spent seven seasons in their minor league system, going 32-44 with a 4.55 ERA. Arnold signed a minor league contract with the Dodgers in the off-season.

Wilkins, signed out of a free-agent tryout camp in the spring, is expected to accept the assignment. Wilkins signed a one-year, $270,000 contract.

With the moves, the Dodger have 12 pitchers on the 25-man roster.

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Outfielder Todd Hollandsworth, on the disabled list because of hamstring problems, began his rehabilitation assignment at Class-A San Bernardino on Tuesday. Hollandsworth started in left field and went three for five with three RBIs. Hollandsworth may be activated Friday. . . . The Dodgers announced that Saturday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals is sold out. Limited tickets are available for Friday and Sunday.

Attendance for the game was 37,717, which puts the attendance in the 38-year history of Dodger Stadium over the 100-million mark. The Dodger cumulative attendance is 100,029,328.

TONIGHT

DODGERS’ KEVIN BROWN (1-1, 3.15 ERA)

vs.

BRAVES’ ODALIS PEREZ (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Dodger Stadium, 7:30

TV--Fox Sports West 2. Radio--KXTA (1150), KWKW (1330).

* Update--This would be a good time for the Dodger ace to have one of those dominating performances that helped him become the game’s highest-paid player. Brown pitched well in his previous outing last Friday against the San Diego Padres--but not well enough to win. Facing his former team for the first time since joining the Dodgers, Brown gave up 10 hits and three runs--two earned--in 6 1/3 innings during a 3-0 loss. The Braves are excited about the left-handed Perez, who earned the fifth spot in Atlanta’s starting rotation on the strength of his strong spring performance. Perez, 20, pitched six scoreless innings April 9 in a 3-2, 10-inning victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.