Sheffield Appeal on Target

As unlikely as it sounds, Dodger Manager Davey Johnson has a solution for Gary Sheffield’s five-game suspension, which has been appealed and will be heard Aug. 29 in Milwaukee.

“I volunteered to serve it,” Johnson said. “There’s probably a lot of people that would be happy if I did that.”

Sheffield was slapped with the suspension for his role in the May 16 Wrigley Field melee.

Johnson said there has been no talk of Sheffield dropping his appeal and serving five games against the likes of the Montreal Expos, Chicago Cubs or Milwaukee Brewers at the end of the month rather than possibly having his appeal denied and having to serve time during the season’s stretch run, when the Dodgers are facing division opponents.

“For me, he’s the MVP [of the National League],” Johnson said of Sheffield, who is batting .335 with 90 runs batted in and a league-leading 36 home runs. “He’s certainly our MVP.”

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Right-hander Darren Dreifort, fresh from his two-homer game Tuesday night, was showing no ill effects from the seventh-inning comebacker by the Cubs’ Gary Matthews Jr. that nailed the Dodger starter on his left thumb in the same game.

“He got smoked pretty bad,” Johnson said. “But the swelling was not too bad. That’s a good thing.”

With Thursday’s off day, Johnson has reshuffled his rotation and will most likely give Dreifort the Sunday start, followed by Kevin Brown on Monday in a series opener at Florida. Rookie Matt Herges will make his second career start Tuesday.

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With the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline past, the Dodgers’ payroll jumped to $95.9 million, according to the latest SportsBusiness Journal.

But the New York Yankees’ $108.5-million payroll still tops the majors. The Atlanta Braves are third at $91.9 million and the Boston Red Sox payroll of $85.2 million is fourth.

The New York Mets ($83.5 million), Arizona Diamondbacks ($79.5 million), Cleveland Indians ($79.1 million) and St. Louis Cardinals ($75.4 million) round out the top eight.

ON DECK

* Opponent--Atlanta Braves, three games.

* Site--Turner Field, Atlanta.

* Today--4:30 PDT.

* TV--Channel 5 today and Sunday, Channel 11 Saturday.

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

* Records--Dodgers 59-54, Braves 69-45.

* Record vs. Braves--1-5.

TONIGHT

DODGERS’

CHAN HO PARK

(11-8, 4.04 ERA)

vs.

BRAVES’

KEVIN MILLWOOD

(7-8, 5.05 ERA)

* Update--Park has held opponents to three earned runs or fewer in his last six starts. He has faced the Braves twice this year, going 0-1 with a 6.00 earned-run average. Park was on the losing end of a 6-3 Brave win April 27 at Atlanta and had no decision in the Braves’ 5-3 victory May 2 at Dodger Stadium. In nine career games against Atlanta, Park is 2-2 with a 5.01 ERA. Millwood has not given up an earned run to the Dodgers in two starts this season, going 2-0. In seven career appearances against the Dodgers, he is 5-2 with a 3.68 ERA.

* Saturday, 10:15 a.m. PDT--Ismael Valdes (2-5, 6.10 ERA) vs. Greg Maddux (12-6, 3.21 ERA).

* Sunday, 10 a.m. PDT--Darren Dreifort (9-7, 4.51 ERA) vs. Andy Ashby (8-8, 5.02 ERA).