Dodgers Face Brown Out

In another major blow to the ailing Dodgers, staff ace Kevin Brown was diagnosed Sunday with a season-threatening muscle tear in his pitching elbow, prompting him to return to Los Angeles and stirring concern in the organization.

The right-hander, on the disabled list twice this season, informed Manager Jim Tracy he could not continue after the fifth inning of the Dodgers’ 4-2 victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates before a sellout crowd of 38,152 at PNC Park.

With Brown (8-4) giving up only three hits and a run, the Dodgers (50-42) kept the pressure on the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West. Pittsburgh dropped to 35-55.

Shawn Green hit his team-leading 22nd home run against Pirate starter Jason Schmidt (5-5) and had two runs batted in, Eric Karros added a two-run single and closer Jeff Shaw, the fifth Dodger pitcher, recorded his 25th save.

But the news about Brown cast a shadow over the victory.

“We’ve dealt with so many things already this year, and obviously this is another one,” said Tracy, whose club pulled to within 3 1/2 games of the Diamondbacks.

“Until I know exactly what his status is, I don’t think there’s a whole lot for me to say at this particular time. Let’s face it, up to this point in the season, he’s fought so many different things.

“The thing with his side, the Achilles’ tendon in spring training. There’s just been a number of things, and it seems to never end. It’s very disappointing, I’ve got to tell you, it’s very disappointing.”

A team physician of the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers determined that Brown had suffered a torn flexor muscle, and the Dodgers quickly scheduled an appointment with club physician Frank Jobe today at Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood.

Brown will undergo an MRI exam and other tests to determine the degree of the tear, which Dodger medical personnel acknowledged is similar to the injury that starter Andy Ashby underwent season-ending surgery to repair June 15.

“It is similar in a way,” trainer Stan Johnston said. “I don’t know to the extent. We won’t know until Dr. Jobe attends to him [today].”

Starter Darren Dreifort is expected to miss most of the 2002 season after undergoing reconstructive elbow surgery for the second time in six years, Ashby’s status is uncertain and Brown appears headed to the disabled list for the third time in 2001, putting the rotation in disarray as the second half begins.

“It’s very freaky, if you ask me, to have this many injuries and the types of injuries we’ve had this year,” Johnston said. “It’s just a bad luck year.

“You look at causes of injuries, it’s hard to say what causes them. Dreif and Ash and even Brownie, it’s hard to predict how many throws there are in an arm.”

Tracy and Johnston said they were not sure when Brown’s latest injury occurred, but catcher Paul Lo Duca noticed a change in his batterymate after Brian Giles scored from third base on a wild pitch in the fourth.

“He clipped his cleat [on the mound] and almost fell,” Lo Duca said. “After that, he kind of started walking around a little bit more after pitches, so I wondered a little bit.

“He’s such a warrior, he’s not going to say much. I don’t know if it was that pitch, but after that, when he caught his cleat, it got him in a funky arm motion.

“He had life on the ball all game today. He hit 95, 96 [mph] a couple of times. He was the usual Brownie. God willing, I hope it’s nothing serious, because that’s a huge blow.”

Including the remainder of their 2001 salaries, Ashby, Brown and Dreifort are owed $136 million. The contracts are insured--but only Brown’s salary would be paid this season under the policies.

Brown, 36, is making $15 million in the third year of a seven-year, $105-million deal. He is owed about $7 million this season.

“I spent half the game, after he got taken out, just sulking [and] thinking, ‘Man,’ ” reliever Matt Herges said. “Sure, everybody has had a lot of setbacks, but three of our top starters. Come on.

“It’s definitely going to hurt, but somebody has to pick up the slack. I don’t know what [management is] going to do, but we can’t cry about it or feel sorry for ourselves.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Reeling Rotation

The Dodgers’ staff at beginning of season, and where it is now (assuming the loss of Kevin Brown):

THEN

Kevin Brown: 8-4, 2.95 ERA

Sidelined by elbow injury

Chan Ho Park: 8-2, 3.20

Still in rotation

Darren Dreifort: 4-7, 5.13

Season-ending elbow injury

Andy Ashby: 2-0, 3.86

Season-ending elbow injury

Eric Gagne: 1-4, 5.42

In rotation; recently recalled

NOW

Chan Ho Park

Eric Gagne

Luke Prokopec: 6-4, 3.96

Terry Adams: 4-3, 5.05

Giovanni Carrara: 1-1, 3.31