Team Puts Nomo on 15-Day DL

The Dodgers acknowledged Hideo Nomo should not be in the rotation, putting the ineffective pitcher on the 15-day disabled list Thursday and purchasing the contract of reliever Giovanni Carrara from triple-A Las Vegas.

Nomo went on the disabled list because of inflammation of his right rotator cuff the day after he had another poor performance in a 7-1 loss to San Francisco at Dodger Stadium. Nomo said he hadn’t experienced uncommon shoulder pain, and the club put Nomo on the disabled list before a team physician evaluated him.

“Well, ah, he’s going to be,” Manager Jim Tracy said when asked whether Nomo had been examined.

It appeared the Dodgers wanted Nomo, scheduled to undergo an MRI exam today, to rest his pitching shoulder and found a solution in the disabled list, delaying a decision on the possible release of a veteran who led the staff in victories the previous two seasons.

“It’s not like excruciating pain or anything,” Nomo said through an interpreter. “It’s not really a pain ... I [just] can’t get too much strength behind my pitches.

“I’ve always had little kinds of things in my shoulder, so it’s kind of hard to say, ‘It started from this point on.’ ”

The Dodgers hope Nomo regains the velocity he lost after having shoulder surgery in October, enabling them to give the $9-million pitcher another shot. But at 35 and with no timetable to return, Nomo might not make it back to the mound at Dodger Stadium.

“It’s probably rest and then a strengthening program,” General Manager Paul DePodesta said. “I don’t know how long it’s going to be, but I doubt it would be a 15-day situation.”

Said Tracy: “We’re going to take it slowly and see where it takes us.”

In Wednesday’s loss, Nomo failed to pitch into the seventh inning for the 13th time in 14 starts while becoming the National League’s first 10-game loser at 3-10 with an 8.06 earned-run average. Nomo, winless since April 21, is 0-9 with an 8.80 ERA in his last 10 starts.

Nomo’s fastball has been consistently clocked in the low 80s from the windup, increasing to the high 80s in the stretch.

“There has to be a reason why there is a distinct difference in velocity from the windup vs. the stretch,” Tracy said. “To sit here and say this is going to cure it, fix and or solve the problem ... nobody’s that smart.”

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With Odalis Perez (shoulder tendinitis) sidelined, the Dodgers moved up Kazuhisa Ishii from Saturday to start tonight against the Angels at Angel Stadium.

The Dodgers plan to recall Edwin Jackson from triple-A Las Vegas to start the second game of the interleague series.

DePodesta said he was “not counting on” Perez returning to the rotation before the All-Star break, so the Dodgers would need to add another starter to start twice in addition to Jackson.

DePodesta said a trade for a pitcher was not imminent, so the Dodgers would have to fill the hole from within. Wilson Alvarez might come out of the bullpen again, or the Dodgers could turn to triple-A pitcher Brian Falkenborg.

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The Dodgers have remained in playoff contention despite having scored fewer runs than every NL team except Montreal. The rotation is in tatters and there appears to be little help available at triple-A Las Vegas, but DePodesta said they’re still in a good spot.

“I’m still definitely a buyer,” said DePodesta, who plans to be active before the July 31 trade deadline. “We’ve had some ups and downs, obviously, through the course of the season, but we’re still right in the middle of this thing.”