Brown Tests His Injury

Testing his broken right pinky, Kevin Brown played catch Wednesday without the splint on it and will throw a full-speed bullpen workout Saturday at Cinergy Field in Cincinnati.

Brown, who broke the finger attempting to lay down a bunt in New York on April 8, is eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list Monday. He might pitch that day against the Mets at Shea Stadium in a make-up game necessitated by the snow-out there on April 9.

“I’m just doing what’s comfortable right now,” Brown said after playing catch in the outfield during batting practice. “Saturday’s the test. I’m going to open it up Saturday, ease into it, and see how I feel.”

Manager Davey Johnson, however, is noncommittal.

“At this point I don’t know when he’ll be able to go, but I know when he wants to go,” Johnson said. “I also want to make sure he’s not 60 or 70% healed, more like 80%.”

Johnson is concerned that Brown might overdo it in his workout, causing more stress on his finger than it can handle.

“Brownie doesn’t do anything easy,” Johnson said. “My main concern with him is his health. If I err on the precaution side, he can’t hold that against me.

“He’s just anxious to come back and help this ballclub.”

Brown beat the Montreal Expos on Opening Day and did not get a decision in the game against the Mets in which he broke the digit. He has an earned-run average of 4.91 in 11 innings.

Johnson said that Brown realizes that the already-shuffled Dodger rotation will be jumbled again when his ace is ready to come back.

“He doesn’t want to disrupt everybody else’s throwing habits,” Johnson said of Brown.

“[His coming back] involves five other people.”

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As the sun set Wednesday evening, marking the beginning of Passover, Shawn Green was toiling away in right field at Dodger Stadium.

Green, the Dodgers’ first star Jewish player since Sandy Koufax, didn’t do anything special for the holiday, unless you count learning its history and traditions and taking the field for the Dodgers.

“I’m not really more religious,” said Green, who grew up in Tustin. “But I do understand more.”

When Green was traded to the Dodgers from the Toronto Blue Jays in a four-player deal on Nov. 8, the right fielder said that one of his goals was to further explore his heritage. Especially since he didn’t grow up in an especially religious household.

“I still want to do that, to be able to have an impact,” Green said. “I want to get something more out of it all than just playing baseball.”

While Passover is one of the more religious holidays on the Jewish calendar, celebrating the flight and exodus of the Jewish people from ancient Egypt, it is not one of the two “High Holidays”--Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

This year, Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, begins at sunset on Sept. 29, the same day the Dodgers begin their final series of the year, against the Padres in San Diego. Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, begins at sunset on Oct. 8.

In 1965, Koufax postponed a start in the World Series to observe Yom Kippur.

What would a more religiously-educated Green do if the Dodgers are playing in the postseason during Yom Kippur later this year?

“I’ve thought about it,” he said. “But that’s a decision I’ll have to make when the time comes.”

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When closer Jeff Shaw earned his fifth save of the season Tuesday night, he moved into a tie for sixth place on the Dodger all-time save list with Tom Niedenfuer at 64. Clem Labine is in fifth place at 83.