Elbow Injury Forces Brown to Miss Next Start

Dodger pitcher Kevin Brown, who re-injured his surgically repaired right elbow last weekend, will miss at least one start. But team officials said Monday that the torn scar tissue he suffered was superficial and not in the immediate area where the surgery was performed.

Brown was examined by Dodger physicians Frank Jobe and Ralph Gambardella in Los Angeles and also underwent an MRI test and X-rays.

“When you look along the lines of a [missed] start versus six weeks and maybe two months and possibly the season, I’d say that’s good news,” Dodger Manager Jim Tracy said.

Left-hander Omar Daal will start in Brown’s place Thursday against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium.

“This was the best we could have hoped for,” said Dodger trainer Stan Johnston, who added that Brown would take anti-inflammatory medication and undergo therapy to reduce swelling.

Brown, who underwent surgery to repair a torn muscle last Sept. 27, felt a burning sensation in his elbow on Saturday while delivering a 2-and-2 fastball to the Padres’ Tom Lampkin in the second inning at Qualcomm Stadium.

Johnston said Brown will receive treatment daily in Los Angeles with physical therapist Pat Screnar and will resume throwing when the swelling subsides.

Tracy said Brown’s progress, and the workload of what is currently a 10-man pitching staff, will be monitored during the three-game series against Colorado before making any roster moves.

He said it was too soon to consider the possibility of putting Brown on the disabled list.

“It’s day to day from now until Thursday,” Tracy said. “We’re not going beyond that. We’re not going to start speculating into two starts from now, or two weeks from now.”

If Brown is unable to recover quickly and is put on the disabled list, Daal will stay in the rotation and the Dodgers will recall a relief pitcher to take Daal’s spot.

Dodger General Manager Dan Evans, however, said it was too early to consider a rotation without Brown for a prolonged period.

“We’re not going to speculate about anything right now,” Evans said. “We have Omar Daal to pitch in that spot on Thursday so we’re covered.”

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Daal, who demanded a trade in spring training because he was not named to the rotation, said he would be ready for his first start.

Daal is 1-0 with a 2.16 earned-run average in four appearances over 81/3 innings. He was available to pitch an inning or two Monday, but Tracy did not call on him.

“I’m just going to go out there and do my job,” Daal said. “Whatever happens after that I cannot control. I’m just going to do my best.”

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The crowd hushed momentarily when Larry Walker swung at a pitch from Odalis Perez in the eighth inning and lost his bat, which sailed through the air about 15 rows into the stands behind the Rockies’ dugout.

No one was hit by the bat.

Perez proceeded to strike out Walker.

TONIGHT

DODGERS’

ANDY ASHBY

(1-0, 1.50 ERA)

vs.

ROCKIES’

JASON JENNINGS

(0-1, 4.50 ERA)

Coors Field, 6 p.m. PDT.

TV--Fox Sports Net 2.

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

Update--Ashby, like Kevin Brown, is coming back from elbow surgery and this will be his first time on the mound since watching Brown leave a game in pain on Saturday. Ashby gave up one hit in seven shutout innings against the Rockies in his first start on April 5. Jennings gave up three runs in six innings against the Dodgers in a 9-2 loss on April 6. Last Thursday, he was forced to leave a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the third inning when he was struck on the elbow by a line drive hit by Steve Finley.

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Bases-Empty Feeling

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