Reflecting Was Good for Penny

Mere hours after losing his cool and yelling at Manager Grady Little on Monday, pitcher Brad Penny contemplated his actions while fishing on a farm owned by comedian Jeff Foxworthy.

Accompanying him was the Atlanta Braves batter he desperately wanted to face when Little pulled him after six consecutive hits with one out in the fifth inning -- first baseman Adam LaRoche.

Before settling in with their poles, Penny and LaRoche picked up LaRoche’s brother, Andy, a top Dodgers prospect who plays for the double-A Jacksonville Suns.

They drove two hours to a Suns game in Montgomery, Ala., and Penny ran into Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti, who had heard all about the pitcher’s outburst.

Colletti and Penny had a discussion about the incident, according to a source at the double-A game. Penny met with Little before the Dodgers game Tuesday and an understanding was reached.

During spring training the Dodgers talked about not allowing individual desires get in the way of team goals. Penny vowed to put the team first.

“We put the whole thing behind us,” Little said.

During a bullpen session Wednesday, pitching coach Rick Honeycutt detected a flaw in Penny’s mechanics that could have contributed to his sore shoulder.

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Second baseman Jeff Kent will have an MRI exam today on his sore left hand to make sure there is not a fracture. Kent has not played since injuring the hand when it slipped off his bat during a swing Saturday against the Washington Nationals.

The injury was diagnosed as a sprain, but he hasn’t recovered as quickly as anticipated.

“It doesn’t hurt when I’m sitting, but put a bat in my hand and that’s when I get real pain,” he said.

Kent would be put on the disabled list if he must sit out more than a few games, a situation that might be complicated by Kent’s replacement, Ramon Martinez, leaving Wednesday’s game after fouling a pitch off his left foot.

Another option at second -- although not for at least a week -- could be Cesar Izturis, who will begin a minor league rehabilitation assignment today at triple-A Las Vegas. He is recovering from elbow ligament replacement surgery and spent the last several days getting at-bats at extended spring training.

Izturis, the team’s shortstop from 2002 to 2005, will test his arm by playing second at least three games before playing shortstop. There are no plans for him to play the outfield or third base at this time.

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Outfielder Jose Cruz Jr. said he was unaware that his older brother, Jose Javier Cruz, had been reported missing by police since a pickup truck he was believed to have been driving was found on fire May 20 near Houston.

No body was found inside the truck and police labeled it a missing persons case.

“It wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for him [to be missing],” Cruz Jr. said. “It’s a long story.”