Osuna Finally Has Surgery on Elbow

Relief pitcher Antonio Osuna had surgery Thursday to have a ligament in his throwing elbow repaired, a team spokesman said.

Team physicians Frank Jobe and Ralph Gambardella also removed a bone spur from the right-hander’s elbow during the procedure at Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood.

Osuna, 26, is expected to pitch sometime next season because Jobe and Gambardella did not have to perform a complete elbow reconstruction as they thought might be necessary.

Osuna, who made $1 million this season, had postponed the surgery because he does not have a guaranteed contract next season. He hoped to pitch through the pain in an attempt to persuade the Dodgers to exercise his contract options, or interest other teams in signing him.

Under the terms of Osuna’s contract, the Dodgers hold options for $1.5 million in 2000 and $2.5 million in 2001. Team officials have said the options will not be exercised.

Osuna, who will rehabilitate with the club, might be offered a performance-based contract with relatively little money guaranteed, a front-office source said.

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Shortstop Mark Grudzielanek, who leads Dodger regulars with a .324 batting average, is listed as day-to-day because of a bruise on his right hand.

Grudzielanek suffered the injury Wednesday in the sixth inning of the Montreal Expos’ 10-7 victory when he was hit by a pitch from Anthony Telford. Grudzielanek, who broke a bone in his right hand earlier this season, did not have X-rays, a team spokesman said.

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Pitcher Darren Dreifort, who left Wednesday’s game because of stiffness in his throwing shoulder, is expected to keep his regular turn in the starting rotation, a team spokesman said.

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Brent Shyer, Dodger media relations director, was a technical advisor on the Kevin Costner baseball movie, “For Love of the Game,” which opens today. Vin Scully does play-by-play in the film.

ON DECK

* Opponent--Colorado Rockies, three games.

* Site--Coors Field, Denver.

* Tonight--5 PDT.

* TV--Channel 5 Friday and Sunday.

* Radio--KXTA (1150), KWKW (1330).

* Records--Dodgers 67-79, Rockies 66-81.

* Record vs. Rockies--3-7.

TONIGHT

DODGERS’ ISMAEL VALDES (9-14, 3.69 ERA) vs. ROCKIES’ DARRYL KILE (8-13, 6.38 ERA)

* Update--It’s fitting that the Dodgers and Rockies are battling to avoid last place in the National League West. They have been among the biggest disappointments in the major leagues this season. Valdes is coming off his worst two outings of the season.

* Saturday, noon--Chan Ho Park (10-10, 5.69) vs. Pedro Astacio (15-10, 5.24).

* Sunday, noon--Kevin Brown (16-8, 2.99) vs. John Thomson (1-7, 7.95).