Knee Problem Lands Dreifort on the DL

Turns out that Darren Dreifort’s right knee has been hampered by more than just arthritis. An additional MRI exam has revealed that the pitcher also suffers from a sprained medial collateral ligament, prompting the Dodgers on Wednesday to place the right-hander on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to May 29.

Dreifort will be fitted with a brace today in the hope that he will be able to resume pitching with the additional support. Seldom-used reliever Andy Ashby will take Dreifort’s place in the rotation Saturday against the Chicago White Sox, and pitcher Victor Alvarez has been promoted from triple-A Las Vegas to take Dreifort’s roster spot.

The nature of Dreifort’s injury is somewhat perplexing. The right-hander said he could run two miles “and it wouldn’t bother me a bit,” but pushing off the mound during his delivery causes significant discomfort, according to trainer Stan Johnston.

“It’s still an arthritic knee, but the ligament is now stressed,” Dreifort said. “I’ve just got to get it better and get back out there. I don’t see the point in getting frustrated.”

Manager Jim Tracy said if Dreifort feels comfortable wearing the brace, he would try some light tossing on level ground and then progress to throwing off a mound. Dreifort would make his next start June 14 against the Cleveland Indians in a best-case scenario, Tracy said.

Tracy said Ashby deserves the opportunity to take Dreifort’s place in the rotation because of the way he has stayed sharp while receiving limited innings. The veteran right-hander has not yielded a run over his last four appearances, which have spanned 5 2/3 innings.

Still, Ashby is 0-3 with a 6.59 earned-run average and has not pitched in a Dodger victory during his eight appearances.

“I’m very aware that the thought of getting him through five innings is probably unlikely the first time around, but that’s OK because Victor Alvarez was brought here for a reason,” Tracy said. “Between those two guys, if we can get to a point in time during the game where we’re involved with those bullpen guys that we like to be involved with when we have a lead, we’ll be right where we want to be.”

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The Dodgers bolstered their already pitching-rich organization by drafting 10 pitchers among their first 20 picks, but Logan White, the club’s director of amateur scouting, said the intent was simply to select the best available players.

A surplus of good young arms, White said, could allow General Manager Dan Evans to trade for position players in future seasons. It could also allow the Dodgers to hand select their pitching lineup from a deep pool of in-house candidates.

“If you get a chance to get a No. 1 or No. 2 starter that you think is going to be able to pitch in L.A.,” White said, “I’d hate to pass on him for somebody who might just be a utility player or a guy off the bench.”

Staff Writer Paul Gutierrez contributed to this report.