Gagne's injury a surprise
KANSAS CITY -- As he waits for more revealing news about his latest elbow injury, Eric Gagne has no regrets about the timetable he was on following the original elbow injury which he suffered during Spring Training.Gagne, who was hurt in his final spring outing, missed seven weeks, spanning 35 games. Upon his return, he was 8-for-8 in save opportunities.
"I was 100 percent," Gagne said. "I was fine the whole time. It happens sometimes on one or two pitches. That's what happens with ligaments. You can't ever predict it. You feel great one day and the next day you can blow it out."
Gagne met with the media while doing Stairmaster conditioning as the Dodgers were concluding batting practice before Tuesday's game against Kansas City.
Asked if there was any thought in his mind that this injury might require season-ending surgery, Gagne said: "I don't even worry about that right now. We'll know for sure tomorrow what's going on. Right now, we're just hoping for the best."
Gagne's velocity has been down this year, but Gagne said he didn't consider that any type of warning sign about a possible elbow injury.
Perez update: Left-hander Odalis Perez, who has been on the disabled list with shoulder soreness, is scheduled to throw about 35 pitches in his first rehab start on Wednesday.
Even if that performance goes well, manager Jim Tracy said Perez will require additional rehab outings.
"Does he factor in on the 17th or 18th [of June]? The answer is no," Tracy said.
Around the horn: Tracy had third baseman Antonio Perez hitting in the No. 9 spot Tuesday for a specific reason. "It's like having another leadoff hitter down there," Tracy said. ... The Dodgers' appearance in Kansas City brings back special memories for L.A. coach Manny Mota. When Mota last appeared in Kansas City in 1973, he was there as a member of the National League All-Star team. ... Former Dodgers great Don Newcombe celebrated his 79th birthday on Tuesday. ... The Dodgers have signed seven players from last week's draft. The signees include David Horlacher (eighth round); Adam Godwin (11th round); Kristopher Krise (12th round); Wilfredo Diaz (15th round), Andrew Locke (19th round), Shane Justis (21st round) and Jason Mooneyham (40th round).
Coming up: The Dodgers will start right-hander Brad Penny in the middle game of the Kansas City series. Penny, who signed a three-year contract extension on Sunday, will be opposed by Jose Lima. After flourishing with the Dodgers in 2004, Lima is 0-5 with an 8.16 ERA for Kansas City.
Source: http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/
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