Ishii’s Rope Keeps Getting Shorter

Kazuhisa Ishii has issued 18 walks in his last 15 innings while failing to work at least five innings in two of his previous three starts.

Manager Jim Tracy has been patient with the wild left-hander in Ishii’s two-plus seasons with the Dodgers, but patience only goes so far.

Tracy removed Ishii after 4 2/3 innings in Tuesday’s 5-3 victory over Milwaukee, and Ishii is expected to be on a short leash again tonight against Arizona.

With the Dodgers slumping, Tracy cannot be as forgiving as usual.

“My patience level hasn’t changed, but it’s about the team,” Tracy said. “It’s about winning a baseball game for the Dodgers. Kazuhisa will be out there, just like any other starter, to pitch as long as he wants to pitch, as long as his stuff is getting people out.

“I don’t want to take the ball away from him or anybody else in a situation like [Tuesday], I’m not interested in doing that. But if it comes down to me sitting there and saying that this one extra hitter could end up costing us a ballgame ... you have to look at that.”

Ishii has struggled with his mechanics during a three-start slump.

“The thing with Kazuhisa is simply this: his ability to maintain his delivery throughout the start, and not run into road blocks where he loses his release point or he ends up getting to the point where he starts to rush,” Tracy said. “He creates problems for himself by walking people and setting stages for the opposition to where a base hit produces runs.

“When you’re walking four to six people in a five-inning stint, or five-plus innings, whatever it is, you’re just creating a number of opportunities for the opposition to get a base hit and knock in runs.”

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Left-hander Wilson Alvarez, removed early in Friday’s 6-3 loss to Arizona because of a hip strain, was scratched from Wednesday’s start against Milwaukee.

“I don’t look at this as something that’s really going to set him back for an extended period of time, but we’re not going to rush him,” Tracy said. “He’s obviously somebody that we need.”

The Dodgers are expected to recall rookie right-hander Edwin Jackson to start for Alvarez, who received a cortisone injection.

Jackson lost the fifth starter’s spot to Alvarez in spring training and has struggled at times for triple-A Las Vegas, posting a 5-2 record and a 5.13 earned-run average.

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Tracy expressed optimism after Hideo Nomo tested his split fingernail in a bullpen session, saying the right-hander might return from the disabled list sooner than expected.

“It far exceeded our expectations,” Tracy said. “There were no ill effects from the finger.

“His velocity was there, his command was there. That was really encouraging.”

Nomo could be activated from the disabled list as early as Thursday.

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The Dodgers purchased the contract of right-handed reliever Rodney Myers from Las Vegas and optioned second baseman Joe Thurston to Las Vegas to make room for Myers on the 25-man roster....Arizona second baseman Matt Kata left in the second inning after suffering a dislocated left shoulder while diving for Alex Cora’s infield hit.