Stamina Is Nomo’s Assignment

Pitching coach Jim Colborn is eager for Hideo Nomo to begin a minor league rehabilitation assignment Monday at triple-A Las Vegas.

Nomo on Friday had the best bullpen session of his throwing program, and Colborn expressed confidence that the right-hander’s progress would continue with the 51s.

Colborn won’t attend Nomo’s start, because the Dodgers also have a game Monday against Florida at Dodger Stadium, so Colborn said he would rely on the evaluation of Las Vegas pitching coach Roger McDowell.

“I want to see the pitching coach’s reports on how sharp his pitches are, mainly the split and breaking ball,” Colborn said. “I want to hear how the hitters react to the fastball, and I want to know about his command.”

In addition to command and fastball velocity, Nomo also must display stamina to persuade the Dodgers to activate him from the disabled list.

The Dodgers plan for Nomo to pitch three innings Monday and, if he fares well, as many as five innings in his next rehabilitation appearance Saturday. Would that be enough to bring back Nomo to the rotation?

“Maybe it can be, but I don’t know right now,” Colborn said. “I never sit down and put on paper what the progressions are; I usually rely on my eyes and my senses.

“We know he has to build stamina, and you’d like to see him pitch five innings. I never feel comfortable out of spring training with a guy only pitching three innings.”

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Manager Jim Tracy strongly intimated that injured pitcher Brad Penny is headed to the 15-day disabled list.

When asked if he thought Penny would make his scheduled started Thursday against Atlanta at Dodger Stadium, Tracy said: “I find the possibility remote at best. There’s a very good chance he could miss a second one. He’s not going to be pushed out there.”

If Penny were put on the disabled list, the move would be retroactive to the last day he pitched, so the right-hander would not be eligible to start again until Aug. 24 against Montreal. The team would recall a pitcher from Las Vegas to take Penny’s spot on the 25-man roster, and Kazuhisa Ishii would remain in the rotation.