Ashby Worked Arm Too Much

In describing the setback he has suffered while recovering from a strained muscle in his right elbow, Andy Ashby said it was the result of his overworking the throwing arm.

“Apparently, it wasn’t a very good idea on my part,” Ashby said. “I thought it was healing faster than it was.”

Ashby, 33, has been on the disabled list since April 16 and was thought to be making progress until team trainers advised him to stop throwing and concentrate on strengthening the arm this past week.

The last time Ashby threw a ball was Tuesday.

“I just had to take the time to let it heal,” Ashby said. “It was healing but not coming together the way it should have been.

“I was doing more harm than good. It’s been four weeks. I never thought I would be out this long.”

Ashby said he plans on playing catch again Tuesday and, depending upon how the elbow reacts, try to throw again Wednesday. He has been on a weightlifting regimen this week to “strengthen [the elbow] without beating it up by throwing,” he said.

Ashby, who signed a three-year, $22.5-million contract as a free agent Dec. 6, began the season with two wins in two starts. He tweaked the elbow in his Dodger debut and was soon on the disabled list.

He has thrown once in the past 10 days.

“I tried to do what I thought was beneficial for all of us,” Ashby said, “but I was wrong.”

Tim Bogar took batting practice with the Dodgers on Saturday afternoon and then caught a flight to Sacramento to join the triple-A Las Vegas 51s for his second rehab assignment since opening day.

Bogar, who made the club as a non-roster invitee to spring training, initially strained his right hamstring chasing a ball down the third-base line from his shortstop position in the second game of the season. He aggravated a different part of the hamstring during his first rehab assignment at Las Vegas and it has been bothering him ever since.

“It’s very frustrating because it’s something that you don’t think would affect you that much,” Bogar said. “An injury has changed my whole season. You go from having an opportunity to play to not being here at all.”

Catcher Paul Lo Duca, on the disabled list since May 2, retroactive to April 29, because of a strained left hamstring and strained left oblique muscle, should begin a minor league rehab assignment by next weekend, Manager Jim Tracy said.

Lo Duca spent about 20 minutes running sprints and around the bases and played long toss under the watchful eyes of bullpen coach Jim Lett and physical therapist Pat Screnar before Saturday night’s game against the Atlanta Braves.

Lo Duca is scheduled to hit against live pitching today, Tuesday and Wednesday.

TODAY

DODGERS’

LUKE PROKOPEC

(3-1, 4.55 ERA)

vs.

BRAVES’

GREG MADDUX

(3-3, 2.45 ERA)

Dodger Stadium, 1 p.m.

TV--Channel 5

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

Update--Prokopec, coming off his first loss of the season, has never faced Atlanta. Maddux, a four-time Cy Young Award winner, has won at least 15 games for 13 consecutive seasons. He has not been particularly dominating at Dodger Stadium in his career, though, going 4-3 with a 3.15 earned-run average in 10 appearances.

Tickets--(323) 224-1448.