A Strain on Dodger Staff

After trading for Brad Penny so he could pitch in their first playoff series in eight years, the Dodgers are now bracing for the possibility of trying to get to October without him.

Penny startled coaches, teammates and a sellout crowd at Dodger Stadium on Sunday by grabbing his right arm, wincing in pain and running off the mound in the first inning of a 4-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. The Dodgers issued an initial diagnosis of a strained biceps, pending an MRI examination today that should reveal the degree of damage to the muscle and indicate how long he might sit out.

“I don’t think he’s going to need surgery,” said Dr. Frank Jobe, the Dodgers’ team physician. “It doesn’t look like it now.”

Penny is expected to miss at least one start, but the Dodgers can handle that, perhaps by extending a second chance to Kazuhisa Ishii, demoted to the bullpen Saturday. But an extended absence would complicate their playoff drive, less than two weeks after weakening their offense and bullpen to acquire Penny.

“It would obviously hurt us. He’s a stud,” Shawn Green said. “The injury will be really tough to swallow if it’s something major.

“We do have pitching depth, so if he has to miss two, three or four starts, we’ll be fine. But he’s a key guy as we get down to the wire. We need him 100%.”

Penny said he felt no discomfort as he warmed up Sunday, or as he pitched to the first three batters. He got an out, gave up a home run to Chase Utley and got another out.

Then, on the first pitch to Jim Thome and 14th of the game, Penny walked off the mound, grimacing and holding his arm. With Manager Jim Tracy at his side, Penny told assistant trainer Matt Wilson he might have suffered a cramp. Wilson rubbed the arm, and Penny tried a practice pitch. He charged off the mound, toward home plate and then third base, writhing in pain. As Penny held his arm, Wilson led him off the field.

In explaining the source of the pain to reporters, Penny pointed to the inside of his right arm, a few inches below the armpit.

“If it had been any lower than that, he wouldn’t even have attempted to throw a [practice] pitch,” Tracy said. “It was nowhere near the elbow.”

Said Penny: “I think I just pulled something in my biceps. At least it’s not the elbow or shoulder. It’s a good spot, if I’m going to get hurt.”

A strain is a partial tear and is classified by degrees. Head trainer Stan Johnston said the MRI test would show “if there’s a large tear or if just a few fibers dissipated.”

A lengthy absence would eliminate the possibility of a rehabilitation assignment, since minor league seasons end by Labor Day. Hideo Nomo and Edwin Jackson could start rehab assignments next week, but pitching coach Jim Colborn said neither would be ready for the majors by Saturday, Penny’s next scheduled start.

According to the Florida Marlin media guide, Penny missed six weeks of the 2002 season because of inflammation in the right biceps. Penny called that information incorrect and told reporters -- and the Dodger medical staff -- he had suffered a shoulder impingement injury at that time and never has had a biceps injury. He also missed six weeks of the 2000 season because of a shoulder impingement.

He left one start last season because of a hyperextended elbow, but he made his next start.

Jobe said he was not asked to give Penny a physical examination before the Dodgers finalized the trade. Jobe said he did consult with the Marlins’ medical staff and was assured Penny had no health issues at the time of the trade.

In the game, Brett Myers shut out the Dodgers on two hits for eight innings, then left after 113 pitches. The Dodgers lost two of three games to the Phillies, their first series loss since losing two of three to the Angels June 25-27.