Cromer to Have Heart Tests

Infielder Tripp Cromer was put on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday because of an irregular heartbeat.

He left the team in Denver to return to Los Angeles to undergo further tests scheduled for today. The Dodgers reinstated shortstop Mark Grudzielanek from the disabled list to fill Cromer’s place on the 25-man roster.

Cromer has been experiencing an irregular heartbeat for the last two weeks, team officials said. He has been monitored closely while undergoing a battery of tests, but Cromer and the Dodgers decided Monday that he needed to return home to be examined by team physician Michael Mellman.

The Dodgers expect to know the results of the examination within a few days. Mellman will consult with other team medical personnel on how to proceed with Cromer once his problem is further diagnosed.

“I talked to Tripp yesterday [Monday] and I asked him how he felt with his condition,” said Manager Davey Johnson, who also has previously experienced an irregular heartbeat. “He said he felt better about it, but he still had a lot of anxiety about it.

“It had happened quite a bit [during the recent trips] in San Francisco and San Diego. My feeling was, with the [All-Star] break coming up, let’s get it looked at. My concern is with his health.”

Cromer, 31, has played sparingly this season, batting .208 with two home runs and eight runs batted in in 29 games. The sure-handed fielder made the opening-day roster out of spring training because he plays second and shortstop equally well, and he occasionally has displayed power.

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Grudzielanek missed 28 games because he fractured a bone in his right hand, and he wasn’t expected to complete his rehabilitation assignment with Class-A San Bernardino until this weekend.

But Cromer’s situation accelerated Grudzielanek’s schedule. Grudzielanek started Tuesday’s game and had a run-scoring single in three at-bats and cleanly handled his chances in the field. He was removed in the seventh inning.

“I feel like I’m pretty close to where I left off,” Grudzielanek said. “I played with San Bernardino for three games, and that’s different pitching and a different atmosphere from here [the major leagues], but I think I got enough out of my time with that club.”

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Reliever Antonio Osuna is scheduled to begin his rehabilitation assignment with San Bernardino today.

Osuna is expected to throw an inning against High Desert at San Bernardino. Pat Screnar, team physical therapist, will be in attendance to monitor the right-hander, who has sat out the last 67 games while recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his throwing elbow.

TONIGHT

DODGERS’ CARLOS PEREZ (2-9, 7.06 ERA)

vs.

ROCKIES’ BOBBY JONES (4-7, 5.76 ERA)

Coors Field, 6 PDT

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

* Update--Perez pitching at Coors Field is potentially a volatile situation. Soft-throwing left-handers typically don’t fare well in Denver’s high altitude, and Perez definitely isn’t throwing hard these days. His fastball has been clocked consistently in the low 80s this season. Perez was pounded for four home runs Friday in a 6-3 loss to the San Francisco Giants. Perez has given up 19 home runs in only 72 2/3 innings. He is tied with Chan Ho Park and Ismael Valdes for the team lead, and they rank among the National League leaders.