Penny’s Injury Puts Ishii Back on Spot

Kazuhisa Ishii has returned to the rotation, at least temporarily.

With Brad Penny sidelined for at least one start because of a strained muscle on his pitching arm, the Dodgers again turned to the erratic Ishii, who was sent to the bullpen Saturday.

Hideo Nomo and Edwin Jackson, working their way back from injuries, are not ready to rejoin the group and the Dodgers lack better options at triple-A Las Vegas, putting Ishii in line to take Penny’s scheduled turn Saturday against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. And Penny might sit out several starts while recovering, leaving the door ajar for Ishii to regain Manager Jim Tracy’s confidence if the inconsistent left-hander seizes an unexpected opportunity.

“It’s probably going to be one start,” Ishii said through an interpreter. “Penny is probably only going to miss one, and that’s the way I’m looking at it. Of course, I am a starting pitcher, and I would like to be in the starting rotation.

“But the important thing is that we’re nearing the end of the season and the team is playing well. I just want to help the team do well, and the team is what’s important.”

Ishii (11-5) is tied with Jose Lima for the team lead in victories, but his 4.76 earned-run average is the highest among the team’s active starters.

Tracy removed Ishii from the rotation after the pitcher gave up four home runs and five earned runs in the first two innings of last Friday’s 9-5 loss to Philadelphia.

Pitching coach Jim Colborn expressed optimism about Ishii.

“I believe he’s a championship-type player, and he’s proven that over his career,” Colborn said. “He’s won big games in Japan, he’s won games for us here and he’s pitched well here.

“This is a time we need that type of pitching. We need a solid performance, and I think he responds in those situations.”

*

Nomo is scheduled to start Monday for Las Vegas, beginning a minor league rehabilitation assignment that might last only a week.

Nomo threw 66 pitches while facing batters in a bullpen session Tuesday. If all goes well Friday, he might pitch as many as three innings Monday for the 51s.

If Nomo fares well in his first rehabilitation appearance, the Dodgers will increase his workload to five innings Aug. 21.

Two sharp outings might be enough for the Dodgers to activate Nomo, who went 3-10 with an 8.06 earned-run average in his first 14 starts.

“The other thing that we’ll obviously continue to keep a close eye on is the progress that Brad Penny makes over the course of the next several days,” Tracy said.

Jackson had a 70-pitch bullpen session and also might begin a rehabilitation assignment after his next session Friday. The rookie right-hander hasn’t experienced much discomfort recently in his strained right forearm, but he has struggled with his mechanics.