Brown Says He Has Been Ready to Pitch for Some Time

While Dodger officials are taking their time with Kevin Brown and his strained right Achilles’ tendon, the right-hander insists he’ll be ready to come off the disabled list in time to start Sunday’s game against the San Francisco Giants.

But what would you expect from a guy who once pitched on the same day he had root canal surgery?

“There’s no doubt I could pitch,” Brown said Thursday afternoon. “The question is whether or not it would be prudent. I could have pitched Monday. I could have pitched the Thursday before that. It’s just a matter of risk.”

Brown, 36, injured the Achilles’ tendon in a spring training game March 23 and while he has no limp, there is concern in bringing him back too fast. He has no trouble pitching off a mound and has jogged lightly, but he has yet to test it out by fielding his position.

“I have not done full-speed takeoffs yet,” Brown said. “When [medical personnel] tell me to do it, I’ll do it.”

Brown, who was on the disabled list last April after breaking a finger trying to bunt, said he is similarly frustrated by this year’s delay.

“I don’t play this game to sit on the bench and watch,” Brown said. “It’s tough enough to sit on the bench when you’re not pitching [on your off-day].”

*

After Carlos Perez unloaded with an expletive-filled tirade at spring training, his feelings toward pitching at triple-A Las Vegas on a rehab assignment apparently have changed.

Perez had no decision in the 51s’ 5-4 10-inning victory after giving up four runs on five hits in four innings. He struck out three and walked two while throwing 70 pitches, only 10 of which were breaking balls.

“I think [the assignment] is going to last longer,” Perez told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “They want me to pitch some innings here and I want to do the job. I want to help the team.”

ON DECK

* Opponent--San Francisco Giants, three games.

* Site--Dodger Stadium.

* Tonight--7.

* TV--Channel 5 Saturday, ESPN Sunday.

* Radio--KXTA (1150), KWKW (1330).

* Records--Dodgers 2-2, Giants 3-0.

* 2000 record vs. Giants--7-5.

TONIGHT

DODGERS’

LUKE PROKOPEC

(1-1, 3.00 ERA, in 2000)

vs.

GIANTS’

SHAWN ESTES

(15-6, 4.26 ERA, in 2000)

* Update--Prokopec, a right-handed rookie who was called up from double-A San Antonio on Sept. 1 and made five appearances, lost to the Giants on Sept. 27 after giving up four runs in five innings. Prokopec was initially supposed to start the year at triple-A Las Vegas but was recalled after Kevin Brown went on the disabled list. The left-handed Estes is 3-6 with a 3.89 earned-run average in 12 career appearances against the Dodgers.

* Saturday, 7 p.m.--Chan Ho Park (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Undecided.

* Sunday, 5 p.m.--Eric Gagne (0-0, 1.80 ERA) or Kevin Brown (13-6, 2.58 ERA, in 2000) vs. Livan Hernandez (1-0, 2.45 ERA).