Brown’s Status for Opening Day Still in Doubt

Kevin Brown continued to progress in his recovery from elbow surgery Friday night, throwing two scoreless innings in the Dodgers’ 2-1 split-squad victory over the Florida Marlins, but it does not seem likely the right-hander will be able to build up enough stamina to open the season with the team.

Brown, who experienced elbow stiffness after his last start, threw only 28 pitches Friday night, his second spring start, and he is clearly behind other pitchers. Most starters have made four spring appearances by now and are throwing 50-60 pitches in four to five innings.

Barring any setbacks, Brown will make only three more spring starts, which may not be enough to increase his workload to the six-inning range.

Most starters throw six or seven innings in their final spring tuneup, gradually increasing their pitch count each game until they reach 90-100 pitches.

“Could he be where he needs to be between now and opening day? You better believe he could,” Manager Jim Tracy said. “Because it’s Kevin Brown, and Kevin Brown is a completely different guy from anyone that I’ve ever seen. With someone else, I don’t know that the process would work.”

The Dodgers hoped Brown would be ready to pitch opening day, but they must temper those short-term hopes with the long-term reality that Brown has four years and $60 million remaining on his contract, and another major setback after September’s surgery to repair a tendon could be devastating.

If he’s not ready to open the season, Brown could spend a week or so in extended spring training, making one or two more starts.

“We’re not going to push him,” Tracy said. “We’re going to see how he feels [today] and proceed normally. He’s in a rehabilitation process, and he’s progressing very nicely.”

Brown needed 20 pitches to complete the first inning Friday night, opening the game with six straight balls, but he retired the side in order on eight pitches in the second.

His fastball reached 92 mph, below his usual 95-96 mph, “but the most important thing was that he came off the mound pain-free,” Tracy said.

Brown, who turned 37 Friday, was in no mood to discuss his performance.

“All I’ve got to tell you is I felt fine,” Brown said. “My arm felt good.”

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Left-hander Terry Mulholland was impressive in a split-squad game against Atlanta on Friday, throwing three hitless innings and allowing only one baserunner in the Dodgers’ 3-1 split-squad victory at Kissimmee, Fla. Mulholland, 39, who is fighting for a bullpen job, has a 1.50 earned-run average in 12 spring innings.

“He’s pitching like two 20-year-olds,” pitching coach Jim Colborn said. “He’s definitely not pitching like he’s 40.”

Paul Lo Duca had two hits and a run batted in, and Giovanni Carrara threw two hitless innings. The game marked the first meeting between Atlanta’s Gary Sheffield and the Dodgers’ Brian Jordan since they were swapped in a trade in January. Sheffield was hitless in two at-bats, and Jordan doubled once in three at-bats.

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After getting rocked for seven runs in 42/3 innings of his first two appearances, left-hander Omar Daal, who is in a battle with Odalis Perez and Eric Gagne for the fifth rotation spot, responded with two strong outings, three scoreless innings against Houston on Sunday and four scoreless innings against Florida on Friday night.

“My first two games were not good, but I hadn’t pitched in three months,” Daal said. “But I’m keeping the ball down and my location is better, that’s the key. I’m getting more confidence and feeling better.”

Marlin closer Antonio Alfonseca, whom the Dodgers, Cubs and Orioles have expressed trade interest in, allowed one hit and a walk in a scoreless sixth inning.