Time for Johnson to Pick a Rookie

Jamie Arnold and Onan Masaoka are ready and waiting, the rest is up to Manager Davey Johnson.

One of the rookie relievers is expected to start Thursday during the second game of a doubleheader against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium. Johnson said Monday he plans to keep Arnold and Masaoka on schedules that would enable either to be available for extended work Thursday.

They struggled Monday during a 12-7 victory over the Pirates. Masaoka walked the bases loaded in the eighth and was charged with two runs in one-third of an inning. Arnold relieved Masaoka and gave up two run-scoring hits.

The opportunity to start Thursday seemingly should go to the right-handed Arnold because he impressed while making an emergency start earlier this season. Arnold pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings during an 8-2 victory over the Montreal Expos on May 5.

He bailed the Dodgers out of a jam when Carlos Perez couldn’t start because he suffered a thigh injury. Arnold had a no-hitter through five innings, and he gave up only a sixth-inning leadoff single.

But the left-handed Masaoka started throughout his career in the minors, and he has been coming on strong in relief lately, Monday’s performance notwithstanding. Masaoka pitched four scoreless innings July 11 to earn his first save in the 14-3, brawl-marked interleague victory over Seattle.

“They both have been doing a good job,” Johnson said. “You can see that they both have coming along like we hoped they would. I’m not saying which one is going to [start], but I’m leaning toward Arnold because he has a start.”

Arnold currently is appealing his five-game suspension for his role in the July 11 melee. It might be advantageous for Johnson to have Arnold work during the doubleheader and then begin serving his suspension, considering he probably would be unavailable for at least four days after starting.

“Whatever Davey wants me to is fine with me,” Arnold said. “If Davey wants me to start then I’ll do that, and if not I’ll be ready in the bullpen. With that [the suspension], we’ll just have to wait and see. I’ll talk with Davey and see what he thinks.”

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Second baseman Eric Young was held out of the lineup Monday after suffering a strained right hamstring during Sunday’s loss.

Young received therapy Monday and told Johnson he was well enough to play. However, Johnson didn’t want Young testing his sore hamstring on the hard artificial surface at Three Rivers Stadium.

“This is the worst thing in the world for any type of leg injury,” Johnson said. “He’s playing very well, and I don’t want him out of the lineup, but I also don’t want him out of the lineup on the homestand [against the Rockies] or against Arizona [the next trip].”

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Only 12 days remain until the non-waiver trading deadline.

Johnson does not believe in making major deals unless team officials are convinced that changes will improve the ballclub significantly.

“If you’re going to perform major surgery, it better make a major difference,” Johnson said. “If not, you just have to live with it. That’s my feeling about it.”

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Infielder Tripp Cromer is scheduled to begin a rehabilitation assignment today with triple-A Albuquerque.

Cromer has been on the disabled list since July 5 because he had been experiencing an irregular heartbeat. Cromer recently said team physicians have been unable to detect the irregularity on monitors.

Cromer is eligible to be activated today.

TODAY

DODGERS’ KEVIN BROWN (9-6, 3.72 ERA)

vs.

PIRATES’ JASON SCHMIDT (8-7, 4.21 ERA)

Three Rivers Stadium, 10:30 a.m. PDT

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

* Update--This marks the final game of the three-game series. Brown is 0-2 with two no-decisions in his last four outings. Schmidt is 2-4 with a 6.14 earned-run average in 10 outings against the Dodgers.