Tracy Considering Four-Man Rotation

Elmer Dessens’ start against the Giants on Sunday might be the last time the Dodgers use a fifth starter this season. Manager Jim Tracy is considering going to a four-man rotation if he believes the team still has a chance to win the National League West.

The fifth spot has been problematic since No. 4 starter Odalis Perez went on the disabled list Aug. 18. Rookie D.J. Houlton went from fifth to fourth in the rotation, and rookie Edwin Jackson was called up from the minors.

Jackson has followed two reasonably good starts with two poor ones, and he lasted only 1 1/3 innings against Colorado on Wednesday, giving up six runs. Tracy is concerned that Jackson’s fragile psyche will take another hit.

“Regardless of how it looks to anybody, Edwin Jackson has made strides this year,” he said. “But if we send him out there and the results are similar to Wednesday night, maybe taking this kid back to spring training and building on his progress would be difficult. I don’t want to go there.”

Houlton has also struggled recently. He is 1-8 in his last 12 starts and in two September starts has given up nine runs and 15 hits in 10 1/3 innings. Dessens has pitched well lately, but Tracy would prefer that he remain in the bullpen.

“He’s starting out of necessity,” he said.

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It is painfully evident that reliever Yhency Brazoban is a work in progress. He is throwing more sliders and changeups than fastballs for the first time, a necessary phase in his development.

The painful part for the Dodgers is that he is still used in key situations, such as the eighth inning Wednesday when he gave up a game-winning two-run home run to the Rockies’ Cory Sullivan.

Brazoban, a converted outfielder whose fastball touches 97 mph, was the primary setup man the second half of last season and was thrust into the closer role when Eric Gagne was injured this season. Only now has he had time to work on developing an effective off-speed pitch.

“We knew there were things we would need to address, but we never really had the opportunity to get back into the laboratory to work on these things,” Tracy said.

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Reliever Wilson Alvarez will throw 30-35 pitches to batters in a simulated game today and could be activated when the Dodgers begin a series at Arizona on Tuesday.