Thompson Gets a Start

The Dodgers will call up left-hander Derek Thompson from double-A Jacksonville to start Saturday at Arizona, Manager Jim Tracy said Thursday.

Thompson, 24, is on the seven-day minor league disabled list because of a strained right calf, but he will come off in time to make his major league debut against the Diamondbacks. He is 0-2 with a 3.89 earned-run average in eight starts at Jacksonville, walking 19 batters and striking out 43 in 41 2/3 innings.

“He’s had some pretty doggone good success so far,” Tracy said of Thompson. “We were intrigued by what we saw in spring training.”

In two Grapefruit League games, Thompson gave up one unearned run and three hits and walked one batter in four innings.

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Wilson Alvarez was shelled for six runs and seven hits in three innings Wednesday against San Francisco, but Tracy said the left-hander would remain in the rotation long enough to start Monday against the Chicago Cubs.

However, Tracy said Alvarez would not make another start in the foreseeable future.

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Scott Erickson, speaking Thursday for the first time about being demoted to the bullpen over the weekend, said he was fine with the move, though he thought he could still be in the rotation.

“I’d like to stay out there, but I basically blew it when I walked the pitcher the other day,” Erickson said of the one-out base on balls he issued the Angels’ Jarrod Washburn to load the bases. Chone Figgins followed with a triple.

“Whatever Tracy wants me to do for the team, I’ll do. I love playing and I want to win,” he said. “You go to the World Series and win, everybody gets a ring.”

Erickson, 37, pitched in relief Wednesday for the sixth time in 370 career appearances, his first since Aug. 25, 2002.

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Elmer Dessens (shoulder) will throw 30 pitches of batting practice Saturday, and the right-hander said he would follow that up with another batting practice session Tuesday.

ON DECK

Opponent -- Arizona Diamondbacks, three games.

Site -- Bank One Ballpark.

TV -- FSNW2 (tonight), Channel 13 (Saturday and Sunday)

Radio -- 980, 1330.

Records -- Dodgers 24-22, Diamondbacks 28-20.

Record vs. Diamondbacks -- 2-4.

Tonight, 6:30 -- Derek Lowe (4-4, 3.02) vs. Shawn Estes (4-3, 3.56).

Saturday, 6:30 p.m. -- Derek Thompson (0-0, 0.00) vs. Javier Vazquez (5-3, 3.49).

Sunday, 1:30 p.m. -- Jeff Weaver (4-4, 5.97) vs. Russ Ortiz (4-2, 5.20).