Sheffield Considers Disabled List

Left fielder Gary Sheffield said Sunday he might go on the disabled list because of his severely sprained right ankle.

Sheffield suffered the injury in pursuit of a ball during Saturday’s 6-5, 10-inning victory. Sheffield, using crutches to walk, acknowledged that the pain in his swollen ankle had not subsided after receiving treatment.

The Dodgers had hoped to have Sheffield back in the lineup Tuesday against the San Francisco Giants at Pac Bell Park, but Sheffield said that timetable might be too ambitious.

“Right now, it’s feeling the same as yesterday,” Sheffield said after Sunday’s game with the New York Mets at Shea Stadium was canceled because of a snow storm.

“The sprain is in a bad area. I don’t see Tuesday happening, I’m not too optimistic about it. Maybe some miracle can happen, but I don’t see it happening right now. It [his high ankle sprain] is just in a real bad place.”

Sheffield is batting .368 with a double, two triples, two home runs and six runs batted in. He said he doesn’t want his status to distract the club.

“I can’t put my team in jeopardy, saying I can be out there tomorrow and then [constantly] pushing it back two days when we can get somebody up here [from triple-A Albuquerque] to help,” Sheffield said.

“I’m sure this is going to hamper me for a while.

“I’m not going to jeopardize my career, and I’m sure the organization will back me on that.”

The Dodgers do.

“We’re not going to let him take any chances,” General Manager Kevin Malone said. “Sheff always wants to be out there to contribute, but you’ve got to be very careful with an injury like this.”

Sheffield plans to seek advice from Angel first baseman Mo Vaughn, who struggled last season after suffering a high ankle sprain.

“I’m going to talk to him to see what he went through,” Sheffield said.

“Maybe I can learn something from him.”

He will be reevaluated today.

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Manager Davey Johnson wasn’t pleased about Sunday’s canceled game being rescheduled April 24.

The Dodgers were scheduled off that day between series at Cincinnati and Atlanta.

“I’m not real fond of it,” he said. “I’d rather come back later on when the weather is better, but it’s not my call. It’s [the Mets’ decision], and that’s what they wanted to do.”