Brown Taken Off DL

Kevin Brown was activated off the disabled list Thursday and put in the Dodger bullpen in hopes that the right-hander can work his way back into peak form--and eventually the rotation--with several lower-stress relief appearances.

But Brown was nearly thrown into the fire Thursday night, warming up in the bottom of the eighth inning with the bases loaded and the Dodgers leading by a run. Jesse Orosco got out of the jam, though, and Brown was not used in the Dodgers’ 1-0 victory over the Expos.

“I wouldn’t have wanted to use him in that situation, but there are times when I may have to,” Manager Jim Tracy said. “Had Jesse not gotten out of it, I would have gone to Brown, because I can’t overuse [Paul] Shuey.”

Neither Tracy nor Brown, who underwent surgery for a herniated disk in his lower back June 11 and hasn’t pitched since May 26, would speculate how long the bullpen duty would last, but the Dodgers have no intention of turning Brown into a full-time reliever.

“This is the right decision for Kevin, for the team, for the organization,” Tracy said. “We can’t just jump on his shoulders and ride him into October. We have to find out how he’s going to do, have him test the waters first rather than start him.”

Tracy said Brown, who is in the fourth year of a seven-year, $105-million contract, will return to the rotation when he finds “a mental comfort level, so that he feels good where he’s at.”

Brown, who also underwent surgery to repair a torn tendon in his right elbow last September, seemed open to the idea of relieving, even though he has made only one relief appearance as a Dodger and three in his 14-year career.

“I plan to start again, but they don’t want to hang me out to dry,” said Brown, who is 2-3 with a 4.06 earned-run average in nine starts this season. “Stamina is not an issue. It’s a matter of facing guys at this level and doing so without having to pitch six or seven innings right off the bat.”

Tracy said his best-case scenario for using Brown would be in lopsided games, but as he showed Thursday night, he won’t refrain from using him in critical situations. He’ll probably enter games at the start of innings, instead of with runners on base, and Tracy said he won’t have Brown warm up more than twice in one night.

Though Brown struggled with his command and rhythm in recent bullpen workouts, he said his arm feels the way it used to before elbow problems hampered him throughout 2001. “This is the best I’ve felt since 2000,” Brown said.

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To make room for Brown on the roster, the Dodgers put struggling reliever Giovanni Carrara on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Sunday, because of a strained muscle in his right forearm, an injury that is not believed to be serious.

In his last three outings, Carrara gave up a two-run homer to Philadelphia’s Mike Lieberthal on Saturday, he hit two batters with the bases loaded to score the go-ahead runs in a 7-5 loss to the Phillies on Aug. 5 and gave up a tying, two-run double to Cincinnati’s Jason LaRue in the ninth inning of a 6-4 loss to the Reds on Aug. 1.

Carrara, who is 6-3 with a 3.62 ERA and has a team-high five blown saves, informed Dodger trainers of his condition Sunday. The right-hander warmed up during Wednesday night’s game but didn’t pitch.

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Left fielder Brian Jordan, sidelined since last Friday because of a protrusion in his lower back, rejoined the Dodgers on Thursday, taking soft toss and hitting off a tee.

He hopes to return to the lineup for a three-game series against the New York Mets beginning tonight, “but I don’t want to set myself back,” he said. “If it has to be 15 days, they can put me on the DL and backdate it.”

Jordan’s condition improved after an epidural injection to alleviate the pain. Jordan, who missed two-thirds of the 1997 season because of a bulging disk in his lower back, has missed the Dodgers’ last six games.

“My hope is that what they saw on the MRI test is the old injury I had in 1997,” Jordan said. “That protrusion was already there. Hopefully the shot knocked it out.”

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After sitting out Wednesday’s game against Expo right-hander Bartolo Colon, Dodger first baseman Eric Karros did not start again Thursday against right-hander Javier Vazquez. But Karros did not object to being replaced by Tyler Houston.

“I’m two for 14 against Vazquez, Tyler has some good numbers [five for 12] against him, and I’ve never faced Colon,” Karros said. “It makes all the sense in the world.”

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ON DECK

Opponent--New York Mets, three games.

Site--Shea Stadium, New York.

Today--4 p.m.

TV--Fox Sports Net 2 today, Channel 13 Saturday and Sunday.

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

Records--Dodgers 68-53, Mets 58-62.

Record vs. Mets--1-2.

TODAY

DODGERS’

HIDEO NOMO

(11-6, 3.61 ERA)

vs.

METS’

MIKE BACSIK

(2-0, 4.87 ERA)

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Update--The Dodgers were scheduled to face Shawn Estes tonight before the Mets traded the left-hander to the Reds on Thursday, news that elicited a few groans in the Dodger clubhouse. Several Dodgers, including Paul Lo Duca (.500), Marquis Grissom (.450), Adrian Beltre (.385), Karros (.381) and Mark Grudzielanek (.349) have had success against Estes. The Mets have lost five games in a row overall and eight in a row at home. Catcher Mike Piazza has sat out the last three games because of a wrist injury, and infielder Edgardo Alfonzo is on the disabled list because of a strained rib-cage muscle.

Saturday, 4:30 p.m.--Odalis Perez (10-8, 3.14) vs. Pedro Astacio (11-5, 3.14).

Sunday, 10 a.m.--Andy Ashby (8-9, 3.56) vs. Steve Trachsel (8-7, 3.61).