Bradley’s Return Is Pushed Ahead

Milton Bradley’s ejection from a triple-A game Thursday came after he struck out in the fifth inning and flippantly told the umpire he would never make it to the major leagues.

Although Bradley made an ill-advised, smart-aleck remark, the Dodgers were relieved that it did not involve a major loss of temper. He will be activated from the disabled list today, which is earlier than expected.

“He’s had enough of a rehab,” Manager Jim Tracy said.

The Dodgers had not planned to activate him until Monday, after he played two nine-inning games this weekend. Bradley had appeared in five games for the Las Vegas 51s, but his longest game had been only seven innings.

Bradley was five for 13 with no extra-base hits and reported no pain in the right ring finger he injured May 29. He is expected to bat third or fourth in the lineup.

In 48 games before the injury, Bradley batted .298 with 10 home runs and 26 runs batted in.

Bradley will play center field, replacing Jason Repko, who is strong on defense but is batting .215. The Dodgers will probably send outfielder Chin-Feng Chen to triple A, although they could instead reduce the pitching staff from 12 to 11.

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Tracy said Brad Penny’s five-game suspension is excessive because the Dodger pitcher did not make contact with an umpire during his July 14 tirade.

Penny, who appealed the suspension and will pitch Sunday, apologized to Tracy in a one-on-one meeting. Tracy and two coaches had to restrain Penny from going after umpire Rob Drake.

Penny was ejected after he threw his helmet and had words with Drake, who was escorting him from first base to the dugout. Penny was called out when he overran first, made a move toward second and was tagged.

“Why five games?” Tracy said. “We lost him for a big part of one game, now we would lose him for an entire start.”

That’s the point of a five-game suspension for a starting pitcher, according to a National League official. Anything less is essentially meaningless because the pitcher could serve the suspension between starts. Penny also was fined $2,000.

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Double-A pitcher Derek Thompson, who pitched effectively in four games with the Dodgers earlier this season, has a torn elbow ligament and needs Tommy John surgery, which will end his season. Thompson missed the 2003 season with a similar injury.