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VERO BEACH, Fla. – Kevin Brown has not been ruled out of his Opening Day
start Monday for the Los Angeles Dodgers despite his continued battle with an injured right Achilles' tendon.
Brown pitched on the side for about 10 minutes Wednesday and
said he felt good. However, the Dodgers are being cautious and will
decide Sunday whether to put Brown on the disabled list.
"Obviously, I'd like to be out there, but you can't argue with
their logic," Brown said Wednesday.
A Dodgers spokesman said Wednesday that if there is any chance of Brown further injuring his Achilles', the team will not use him in the opener. Still, the Dodgers and Brown are holding out hope that he can pitch.
Brown is concerned about fielding and running with the tendon
that he sprained last Friday in his start against the New York
Mets.
"That's been the most difficult issue," he said. "I feel OK
throwing the ball."
Brown will have a second MRI on Friday.
"I could be ready for Opening Day as long as I monitored myself
as far as my base running or going after bunts and stuff like
that," he said. "I think that's what scares them, that in the
heat of competition, I might do something I'm not supposed to."
Last week, team physician Frank Jobe said the tendinitis
initially thought to be the injury is still there, but the sprain
is the more serious injury.
Brown was 13-6 with a National League-leading 2.58 ERA last
year.
His Opening-Day replacement against Milwaukee likely would be
Chan Ho Park, who was 18-10 with a 3.27 ERA last year.
"I have no interest whatsoever in risking the entire season in
hopes he'd get through opening day without injury," rookie manager
Jim Tracy said. "Chan Ho Park will be our Opening Day starter, and
that's not a bad guy to have pitching your first game as manager."
If Brown goes on the disabled list, the Dodgers plan to recall
rookie right-hander Luke Prokopec, who was sent to Triple-A Las
Vegas on March 21.
Prokopec went 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA in five games with Los Angeles
last year after turning down a spot on the Australian Olympic team
to accept a promotion to the major leagues. Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories | |
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