Two Sides to This Pitching Story

Get one promising pitcher back, lose another. And the loss may be greater than the gain.

Randy Galvez, a right-hander who went 13-4 with Mexico City in the Mexican League in 1998, missed last season while rehabilitating from the Tommy John surgery. He is pitching for double-A San Antonio this season.

But Hong-Chih Kuo, a left-hander, was lost for at least one season. He pitched three shutout innings, striking out seven, in his first game with Class-A San Bernardino--his professional debut. The next day, it was learned he had a torn ligament in his left elbow.

How this will affect Kuo’s fastball, clocked between 95-98 mph, is to be seen. But it certainly puts a cloud over a player in whom the Dodgers have made a significant investment.

The 18-year-old Kuo, the first high school pitcher signed out of Taiwan, received a $1.25-million signing bonus last year.

He underwent successful surgery Thursday.

Galvez, meanwhile, has made three starts. He is 0-1 with a 12.08 earned-run average in 12 2/3 innings. He has nine walks and four strikeouts.