Gagne Is Not Easy on Eyes in Debut

Eric Gagne should have had a hop in his step, pitching for the first time this spring.

Instead, there was a noticeable limp.

Gagne, the inimitable Dodger closer, pitched one inning against the Boston Red Sox on Monday, throwing 24 pitches, walking one, striking out one and getting two groundouts. The results were fine, but his delivery was not. On that, he and pitching coach Jim Colborn agreed.

“I definitely feel like it was a step forward,” Colborn said. “I feel a lot better about him being ready for the season now than I did before the game.”

The faulty mechanics and gimpy gait resulted from a sprained left knee suffered Feb. 24 during a fielding drill. Gagne’s recovery has been unhurried because he normally doesn’t pitch much until late in spring training anyway.

With the opener two weeks away, it was time to take the mound.

He’ll pitch again in two to three days unless the knee gives him problems today.

“I still need to find my release point and a rhythm,” he said. “I’ve got to get mentally over the hump with the knee. It doesn’t hurt, it’s just there. It’s getting better, it’s just sore.”

Gagne was falling off to the side during his follow-through as if trying to land gingerly and put less pressure on the knee.

“He wasn’t throwing correctly,” Colborn said.

“I expected it. It’s OK to be a little off right now. It won’t get worse.”

The challenge is for Gagne to get enough work before the season without falling into bad habits

“I’ve worried about changing my delivery because of the injury,” he said. “I don’t want to change anything, otherwise I shouldn’t go out there.”

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The acquisition of catcher Jason Phillips from the New York Mets means Dioner Navarro is almost certain to begin the season at triple-A Las Vegas. The Dodgers still believe Navarro is their catcher of the future.

“If they want to put me in triple-A for one year or half a year, they are doing it for a good reason,” he said. “I will just make sure I am ready as soon as possible.”

Navarro, 21, is three for 15 (.200) with four walks and one strikeout this spring. He has displayed quickness behind the plate and a strong arm.

Phillips spent his first day in a Dodger uniform learning signs and taking batting practice.

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It was standing room only at Holman Stadium on Monday because the Red Sox were in town. The number of fans wearing red rivaled those in blue.

Dodger right-hander Derek Lowe, who pitched for the Red Sox the last seven seasons, knows how it feels to wear both colors. He gave up two runs and six hits in five innings of the 7-3 loss.

“At the beginning I was having too much fun, kidding around and laughing,” he said. “Once I got 50 pitches in, I put my game face on.”

A reporter from a Boston newspaper asked Lowe if during the game he realized for the first time he was no longer a member of the Red Sox.

“I’m way beyond that,” he said. “I was over that the second I got here.”

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Odalis Perez, who has been sidelined with biceps tendinitis, will make his first appearance of the spring today. The Dodgers have expressed doubt that Perez would be available for the first week of the season, but Perez said he would be ready. ... Brad Penny will pitch to Dodger hitters today for the first time this spring.