Baseball Guru
07-15-2001, 10:04 PM
Dodgers' Brown Hurts Elbow
by ALAN ROBINSON
AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Dodgers ace Kevin Brown, still trying to shake off the aftereffects of a neck injury, hurt his right elbow Sunday and returned to Los Angeles to be examined by team doctors.
Brown strained an elbow muscle while limiting Pittsburgh to a run in five innings, then was examined by a Pirates doctor before the Dodgers decided to send him home immediately.
Brown is expected to have an MRI test, with the Dodgers refusing to speculate on the extent of the injury until he sees Dr. Frank Jobe.
Dodgers catcher Paul Lo Duca thinks Brown was hurt while bouncing a pitch several feet in front of the plate in the fourth inning of a 4-2 victory, resulting in a run-scoring wild pitch.
''He caught his cleat, he almost fell, but he threw the pitch anyway,'' Lo Duca said. ''After that, he was kind of walking around on the mound and I wondered if something was wrong.''
Despite being hurt, Brown pitched a scoreless fifth inning before asking to be taken out.
''Anytime he comes out with the lead, you know something's the matter,'' Lo Duca said. ''I have more respect for that guy than anybody. He'll take the ball anytime, anywhere. It's not a good sign.''
Brown (8-4) has had a succession of injuries this season, including those to his side, an Achilles' tendon, his neck and his right hand. His start Sunday had been pushed back several days so he could get in more throwing on the side after losing his final pre-All-Star start, 13-0 to Seattle on July 6.
Until he was hurt again Sunday, the extra rest seemed to have been beneficial as Brown consistently hit 95-96 mph on the radar gun while allowing one hit over his final four innings.
''His velocity was still there, and he was throwing the ball as well as he was before going on the disabled list,'' manager Jim Tracy said.
The injury comes just when the Dodgers were hoping to make a run at division-leading Arizona in the NL West.
''We've dealt with so many things this year, and obviously this is another one,'' Tracy said. ''To this point, he's fought so many things ... it seems to never end. It's very disappointing.''
Brown didn't talk to reporters before leaving PNC Park for the trip to Los Angeles -- his second long flight in less than a day. The Dodgers played a 15-inning game Saturday in Oakland, then flew most of the night for the late-afternoon game in Pittsburgh.
''We've had to deal with a lot of adversity on and off the field,'' Eric Karros said. ''A lot of teams have that but, with our club, it always seems like it's the key players.''
Dodgers players have missed 367 games due to injury. Among the Dodgers currently on the disabled list are pitchers Andy Ashby, Darren Dreifort, infielder Hiram Bocachica and utilityman Tim Bogar.
Brown has already been on the disabled list twice. He started the season there with a right Achilles tendon strain before being activated April 10, then didn't pitch from May 29 until June 24 with the neck injury.
by ALAN ROBINSON
AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Dodgers ace Kevin Brown, still trying to shake off the aftereffects of a neck injury, hurt his right elbow Sunday and returned to Los Angeles to be examined by team doctors.
Brown strained an elbow muscle while limiting Pittsburgh to a run in five innings, then was examined by a Pirates doctor before the Dodgers decided to send him home immediately.
Brown is expected to have an MRI test, with the Dodgers refusing to speculate on the extent of the injury until he sees Dr. Frank Jobe.
Dodgers catcher Paul Lo Duca thinks Brown was hurt while bouncing a pitch several feet in front of the plate in the fourth inning of a 4-2 victory, resulting in a run-scoring wild pitch.
''He caught his cleat, he almost fell, but he threw the pitch anyway,'' Lo Duca said. ''After that, he was kind of walking around on the mound and I wondered if something was wrong.''
Despite being hurt, Brown pitched a scoreless fifth inning before asking to be taken out.
''Anytime he comes out with the lead, you know something's the matter,'' Lo Duca said. ''I have more respect for that guy than anybody. He'll take the ball anytime, anywhere. It's not a good sign.''
Brown (8-4) has had a succession of injuries this season, including those to his side, an Achilles' tendon, his neck and his right hand. His start Sunday had been pushed back several days so he could get in more throwing on the side after losing his final pre-All-Star start, 13-0 to Seattle on July 6.
Until he was hurt again Sunday, the extra rest seemed to have been beneficial as Brown consistently hit 95-96 mph on the radar gun while allowing one hit over his final four innings.
''His velocity was still there, and he was throwing the ball as well as he was before going on the disabled list,'' manager Jim Tracy said.
The injury comes just when the Dodgers were hoping to make a run at division-leading Arizona in the NL West.
''We've dealt with so many things this year, and obviously this is another one,'' Tracy said. ''To this point, he's fought so many things ... it seems to never end. It's very disappointing.''
Brown didn't talk to reporters before leaving PNC Park for the trip to Los Angeles -- his second long flight in less than a day. The Dodgers played a 15-inning game Saturday in Oakland, then flew most of the night for the late-afternoon game in Pittsburgh.
''We've had to deal with a lot of adversity on and off the field,'' Eric Karros said. ''A lot of teams have that but, with our club, it always seems like it's the key players.''
Dodgers players have missed 367 games due to injury. Among the Dodgers currently on the disabled list are pitchers Andy Ashby, Darren Dreifort, infielder Hiram Bocachica and utilityman Tim Bogar.
Brown has already been on the disabled list twice. He started the season there with a right Achilles tendon strain before being activated April 10, then didn't pitch from May 29 until June 24 with the neck injury.