Bradley’s Outbursts Again Bring Talk

The Dodgers are perplexed about how to help improve center fielder Milton Bradley’s deteriorating relationship with umpires.

Bradley was ejected for the third time this season in Friday’s 7-3 interleague loss to the Angels at Angel Stadium. Umpire John Hirschbeck joined the list of umpires who have ended Bradley’s work early this season, tossing him in the fourth inning after Bradley hurled his bat and helmet toward the dugout on his second called third strike in two innings.

In an attempt to help smooth over the situation with Hirschbeck’s crew, Manager Jim Tracy had Bradley deliver the lineup card to the plate Saturday before the Dodgers’ 8-5 victory over the Angels. Bradley shook hands with the umpires and high-fived teammates on returning to the dugout.

Bradley last Sunday completed a four-game suspension for his fiery exchange with an umpire before and after being ejected June 1 in a 4-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium. The talented switch-hitter’s temper prompted the Cleveland Indians to trade him to the Dodgers on the eve of the season, and the Dodgers apparently have not had much success persuading Bradley to keep cool.

The Dodgers say umpires have unfairly targeted Bradley because of his volatile reputation. Bradley has remained defiant, as the ejections have mounted, maintaining he knows the strike zone better than umpires.

“I hit .320 last year,” said Bradley, who hit .321 for the Indians. “Did Hirschbeck ever hit .320? Enough said.”

Is it time for outside help?

“If you needed counseling because you throw things when you get angry, then probably all 30 GMs would need it,” General Manager Paul DePodesta said. “He certainly wouldn’t be alone.

“Everybody who’s in this game is extremely competitive. Not only is he competitive, he’s a perfectionist too. I think that plays into it. But ultimately, I don’t think that’s for me to judge, whether or not there’s a need for something more.”

Tracy said he had his second discussion Saturday with Bradley “about what’s very important as far as when you get angry at something that you have a right to be angry about. There does come a point in time when it’s necessary to walk away, especially when you realize the fact that bad pitches are being called, and bad pitches are being called against players from both sides of the field.”

Tracy declined to comment on whether Bradley was more receptive to his advice this time. Bradley’s teammates remained supportive -- but they want him on the field.

“He’s definitely had some games where a bad call or a bad situation happens and he’s shown his emotions,” first baseman Shawn Green said. “He’s a big part of the team and the lineup, and we need him in there.”

Said left fielder Dave Roberts: “Milton is a competitor first and foremost, and he has to keep playing the way he plays, but sometimes you have to take the high road.”

DePodesta said the Dodgers would continue to stand behind Bradley.

“I’m always going to defend our players. Period,” DePodesta said. “But in this kind of a situation, if I defend my player, it’s going to look like I’m attacking the umpire. I have no desire to do that either.”

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Odalis Perez was put on the disabled list (retroactive to last Sunday) as expected because of shoulder tendinitis. The Dodgers hope Perez can rejoin the rotation after the All-Star break.

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Left-hander Greg Miller, the Dodgers’ 2003 minor league pitcher of the year, has suffered setbacks in his rehabilitation from arthroscopic shoulder surgery and might miss the season.

“His rehab is slower than originally predicted in spring training,” DePodesta said.

The Dodgers had hoped Miller would return to the mound in May after undergoing surgery March 19. He has begun a throwing program at Class-A Vero Beach.

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Cal State Fullerton Coach George Horton, who attended a pregame ceremony at Angel Stadium in which his College World Series champion Titans were honored, defended himself against Oakland A’s General Manager Billy Beane’s accusations that he had mishandled ace Jason Windsor during the Series.

Windsor, a third-round pick of the A’s, threw 322 pitches in three appearances over eight days to lead Fullerton to the Series title, prompting Beane to say Horton “failed to put a kid’s long-term interest ahead of his own selfish concerns.”

Responded Horton: “If I was totally about winning, [Windsor] would have started the middle game instead of pitching in relief, so we feel very confident that we don’t win at all costs, we don’t abuse our athletes.... I only have myself and my staff to answer to and my conscience, and Billy Beane is not going to control what George Horton does.”

Horton said he agreed with Angel Manager Mike Scioscia’s assessment that high pitch counts don’t necessarily constitute abuse.

“It’s whether a guy stays in his right mechanics,” said Scioscia, a former catcher. “If a guy’s mechanics are good, he’s not going to put any stress on his arm. You can’t just go by pitch counts alone.”

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Angel utilityman Chone Figgins said his disappointment that his streak of starting in 63 consecutive games ended Friday because of a mild concussion was tempered by an excellent long-term prognosis.

Figgins, who suffered the injury Thursday in Oakland when he hit his head against A’s second baseman Marco Scutero’s knee as Figgins slid into the bag to break up a double play, is expected to return to the lineup tonight.

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Bobby Jenks, one of the Angels’ highly touted pitching prospects who recently missed two months because of a stress reaction in his pitching elbow, has been shut down again after the injury recurred. He could miss the remainder of the season. Angel General Manager Bill Stoneman acknowledged that the latest in several setbacks relating to stress reactions dating to last season was worrisome.

“It’s a precursor to a stress fracture, and you have to wonder what’s causing it and is it preventable.”

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Angel outfielder Raul Mondesi is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a torn thigh muscle and could begin a rehabilitation assignment within a few weeks, Stoneman said.... Saturday’s crowd of 43,686 at Angel Stadium marks the club-record 26th sellout in only the 40th home game of the season.

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Times staff writer Mike DiGiovanna contributed to this report.