Malone Isn’t Ready to Give Up on Struggling Perez

The Dodgers might not be finished with Carlos Perez.

Although it appeared that the left-hander had pitched himself out of the club’s plans after two disastrous seasons, General Manager Kevin Malone is still trying to salvage Perez.

Dave Wallace, special assistant to the general manager, has been working with Perez during his rehabilitation assignment at triple-A Las Vegas, Malone said.

Malone hopes that Wallace can help Perez increase his arm strength because the Dodgers are considering using him in the bullpen.

Perez struggled in his first triple-A start Thursday, showing he still needs more work.

However, Perez is the focus of Wallace’s attention, and Malone believes that the respected former pitching coach can make a difference.

“He did show some positive signs in spring training,” Malone said of Perez, 2-0 with a 4.76 earned-run average in spring training. “He showed the ability to have better command of his pitches, he seemed to have more mobility, arm flexibility and better arm speed.”

The Dodgers are still working with Perez because he is guaranteed $7.5 million this season in the final year of a three-year, $15.6-million deal. Perez can become a free agent May 6 if he is not on the 25-man roster.

Chairman Bob Daly is opposed to releasing Perez--7-18 with a 6.28 ERA in the majors since signing his contract--but it is unclear how the club would open a roster spot if Wallace believes Perez could help.

Rookie left-hander Jose Nunez has struggled in two appearances, giving up two home runs to left-handed batter Luis Gonzalez of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

But the Dodgers must keep Nunez on the 25-man roster or offer him back to the New York Mets for $25,000 under terms of the Rule 5 draft.

The Dodgers plan to be patient with Nunez and Manager Jim Tracy does not want to carry 12 pitchers, so where does Perez fit?

“The first thing is for Carlos to build [arm] strength and then go from there,” Malone said. “He’s shown what he can do in the past and we’re hopeful he can be that guy again.”

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Tracy said the club will decide today whether right-hander Kevin Brown will start Sunday against the San Francisco Giants.

“I think there’s a good chance we will know exactly what our plan is going to be as far as when we’re going to send him out there,” said Tracy, still concerned about Brown’s right Achilles’ tendon injury. “But there’s a couple more things that he has to do before we render that decision.

“There’s [pitcher fielding practice] you’d like to see him do. Obviously, you’d like to see him take a couple of swings and come out of the box as a hitter and run the bases.”

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Reliever Antonio Osuna, traded from the Dodgers to the Chicago White Sox on March 18, signed a two-year, $4.75-million contract.

The right-hander, being paid $1.5 million this season, will have salaries of $2.2 million and $2.4 million in 2002 and 2003, respectively.

The White Sox hold a $2.8-million option for 2004 or a $150,000 buyout.

TONIGHT

DODGERS’

CHAN HO PARK

(1-0, 0.00 ERA)

vs.

GIANTS’

LIVAN HERNANDEZ

(1-0, 2.45 ERA)

Dodger Stadium, 7

TV--Channel 5. Radio--KXTA (1150)

* Update--Park pitched seven scoreless innings in a 1-0 opening-day victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.

* Tickets--(323) 224-1HIT