Drew Has Pain in Left Knee

It’s a big word for a relatively minor injury -- chondromalacia.

But it was serious enough to sideline Dodger outfielder J.D. Drew on Wednesday, and it could keep him out for several days.

The condition in Drew’s left knee was diagnosed after an MRI exam. According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, chondromalacia is a softening of the tissue in the kneecap. Dodger trainer Stan Johnston said a small piece of cartilage dislodged from the kneecap, exacerbating the condition.

Drew said the injury might have been caused by a slide in a game at Arizona over Memorial Day weekend.

“At first I felt it about every 40 or 50 steps,” he said. “I thought, ‘What is this sharp pain?’ Then I started feeling it every time I jogged off the field.”

Drew had major surgery on his right knee in 2002 to remove a diseased portion of his right patella tendon. “I was scared to death I had hurt the patella tendon,” he said.

Drew is batting .272 with 12 home runs but hadn’t had an extra-base hit in seven games.

“I can’t sit behind the ball and drive with my back leg,” he said. “I’m better off taking some time to let it quiet down rather than risk something more serious.”

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Right-handed pitcher John Meloan, the Dodgers’ fifth-round selection in the first-year player draft, has signed. Meloan was 10-3 with a 2.70 earned-run average for Arizona.

The Dodgers have signed 14 players, including 10 of their top 14 picks.

Top pick Luke Hochevar, a right-handed pitcher from Tennessee, remains unsigned. Hochevar was selected to the Baseball America All-American team and is a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award.

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Third base coach Glenn Hoffman was still feeling the effects of being hit in the head with a batting-practice line drive eight days ago and returned to the team hotel before the game. Bench coach Jim Lett coached third.... The Dodgers have no plans to return utility infielder Oscar Robles to the Mexican League to participate in the playoffs there, even though doing so would save them $200,000.