Prokopec Not Down About Demotion to Triple-A

Luke Prokopec has mixed feelings about the inevitable--being optioned to triple-A Las Vegas Tuesday with Kevin Brown’s activation from the disabled list. But he understands.

Prokopec shut down the San Francisco Giants Friday night in an emergency start, getting his second career win after giving up one run, four hits, striking out seven and not walking a batter in 7 2/3 innings. He was given a standing ovation by the Dodger Stadium crowd upon his exit.

Not bad for a guy who hasn’t spent a day in triple-A.

“It’s always disappointing to get sent down but even if I threw a no-hitter or whatever I knew it was going to happen,” Prokopec said after the Dodgers’ 8-3 loss to the Giants on Sunday. “I’ll just work hard again and whatever happens, happens, I guess.

“But being sent down, it’s better than a kick in the teeth.”

Prokopec, 23, was supposed to be Las Vegas’ opening day starter but was called up April 1, before the 51s’ season opener, to take Brown’s spot in the Dodger rotation.

After playing at double-A San Antonio last season, Prokopec was called up Sept. 1 and missed out on pitching for his native Australia in the Sydney Olympics.

In five big league outings, including three starts, Prokopec went 1-1 with a 3.00 earned-run average.

“I mean, you can take it as a negative being sent down to triple-A,” said Prokopec, who will join the Dodgers in Phoenix as a safety measure before catching a flight to Las Vegas. “But I’m taking nothing but positives back. I got a chance to pitch and pitch well and competitively at this level [with the Dodgers]. We got a win out of it [Friday] and Brownie’s coming back.”

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Kevin Brown, who will come off the disabled list in time to make his season debut Tuesday at Arizona against Curt Schilling, continued his rehab program Sunday afternoon at Dodger Stadium.

Brown, 36, who strained his right Achilles’ tendon in a spring training game March 23, took batting practice and ran the bases at full speed for the first time.

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Blanca Jarrin, wife of the Dodgers’ longtime Spanish radio announcer Jaime Jarrin, is home recuperating from a heart attack suffered March 25. She has undergone angioplasty as treatment.

Jaime, who entered the broadcasters’ wing of the Hall of Fame in 1998 as a recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award, is in his 43rd season calling Dodger games. He left spring training in Vero Beach, Fla., early and came back to Los Angeles to be by her side after receiving the news. He will join the Dodgers on their trip to Arizona, San Diego and San Francisco beginning today.

He also underwent off-season surgery on his sinus cavity to alleviate problems that developed from an infection and threatened his voice.