Perez Will Miss His Next Start

An MRI exam taken of Odalis Perez’s left (throwing) shoulder Monday showed no structural damage but the left-hander will miss his scheduled start Friday against the Angels as a precaution. Manager Jim Tracy said right-hander Scott Erickson would start in Perez’s place.

Perez, who experienced tightness in the shoulder during Saturday night’s loss to the Atlanta Braves, should make his next start, at San Francisco on May 25. Perez also acknowledged that a small tear in the same shoulder had been found in a January physical when he signed a three-year, $24-million contract with the Dodgers.

“It’s better now than then,” Perez said.

Perez, 27, who also had biceps tendinitis in spring training, said he was relieved at the diagnosis.

“It’s like a pinch; I don’t release the ball the way I should,” he said.

“It’s not like it’s big damage or something really bad [but] it’s painful. I don’t want to be rushing, pressing and rushing and it gets worse.

“I feel better mentally because I thought it was something bad.”

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Oscar Robles batted .438 in spring training for the Dodgers and was hitting .390 with four home runs and 21 runs batted in for the Mexico City Red Devils when his contract was purchased by the Dodgers on May 9.

But the utility infielder was hitting .059 (one for 17) before an infield single Monday night.

“There’s a little pressure,” Robles said in Spanish. “But I need to stay positive and gain confidence. It’s the little things I need to work on and with experience will come the confidence.”

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Antonio Perez’s rehab assignment at triple-A Las Vegas ends today and the infielder will rejoin the Dodgers on Wednesday.

Perez, who injured his left hamstring on April 9 and began his rehab on April 28, is expected to get plenty of playing time at third base.

“To have him come back here and sit around, then that’s just negating the process,” Tracy said.

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Right-hander Elmer Dessens (shoulder) threw off flat ground to a catcher Monday at “close to full effort,” Tracy said, and may have a bullpen workout Wednesday.

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The first of two Milton Bradley baseball academies will open at Baldwin Recreation Park in Baldwin Hills within the next two to three weeks, the team announced. The second academy opens in Long Beach in July.

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DODGERS TONIGHT

DODGERS’

DEREK LOWE

vs.

MARLINS’

DONTRELLE WILLIS

*--* THE MATCHUPS 2005 2004 VS OPP TEAMS/PITCHERS W-L ERA TEAM W-L IP ERA Florida/Willis (L) 7-0 1.08 7-0 0-1 5.0 9.00 DODGERS/Lowe (R) 2-4 2.94 3-5 -- -- --

*--*

Dodger Stadium, 7

TV -- FSN West 2. Radio -- 980, 1330.

Update -- Willis, who leads the National League in wins and earned-run average, is 0-2 with a 15.43 earned-run average in two career starts against the Dodgers. The left-hander hasn’t pitched at Dodger Stadium, though catcher Paul Lo Duca said Willis is “learning to pitch ... he’s learning you don’t have to strike everybody out.”

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-- Paul Gutierrez