Doctors Still Unsure How to Treat Brown

DENVER —  Kevin Brown, suffering from a herniated disk in his lower back, remained hospitalized at Centinela Medical Center in Inglewood on Tuesday while doctors considered courses for treatment--among them, possible season-ending surgery.

Brown, already on the disabled list because of inflammation in the back of his surgically-repaired right elbow, might have sustained the injury while playfully wrestling with one of his sons at home last Wednesday.

Manager Jim Tracy said Brown’s son was about to fall off a bed when Brown lunged to catch him.

“It was a quick, reactionary motion to grab his son, and that may have triggered [the back injury],” Tracy said. “The situation worsened, he had an MRI test Thursday, and that revealed the protrusion.”

Brown was in excruciating pain Monday, but Tracy said the pain had subsided considerably after an injection of medication. Brown was examined by Frank Jobe, team physician, and spinal specialist Dr. William Dillin on Tuesday, but he did not undergo any tests.

He’ll probably remain hospitalized until tonight or Thursday.

“He’s just resting [Tuesday],” team trainer Stan Johnston said. “The first thing was to break the pain cycle. We’ll see how he comes out of this and determine in the next couple of days what to do.”

There are two primary options for treating a herniated disk--a physical therapy program designed to strengthen the lower-back area through exercise, or surgery, most likely a laser diskectomy, in which a laser beam is used to cut out or evaporate the protrusion.

A rehabilitation program would probably sideline Brown for another month or so. Surgery would probably sideline him for at least two months, and possibly the season, but it would also go a long way toward ensuring Brown’s long-term health, a major factor considering Brown, 37, is owed another $45 million from 2003-2005 and has been on the disabled list five times in the last two seasons.

“Right now, no one has told me he could be out of the season,” Tracy said.

“I don’t speculate. I don’t guess. There’s no doubt about the impact he has when healthy, but since [the beginning of 2001], all I’ve seen are little bits and pieces of [the real] Kevin Brown, and that’s unfortunate.”

Two prominent pitchers underwent back surgery in recent years, with favorable results. Randy Johnson missed the final five weeks of the 1996 season because of a herniated disk, had surgery, and returned to go 20-4 with a 2.28 earned-run average and 291 strikeouts for Seattle in 1997.

Davis Wells had surgery to repair two herniated disks last July 17 and missed the remainder of the season, but he has a 6-2 record and 3.66 ERA in 11 starts for the New York Yankees this season. Arizona center fielder Steve Finley had diskectomy after the 2000 season and returned at full strength in 2001.

The Dodgers have a capable replacement for Brown in left-hander Omar Daal, but losing Brown for the season--or even an extended period--would deal a considerable blow to their pennant hopes.

“We have a good pitching staff, but we need Brownie because he’s the horse,” left-hander Odalis Perez said.

“He’s gone to the playoffs and World Series. He knows what it takes.”

In making a decision, the Dodgers must weigh the present--their need for Brown this season--against the future. They’d miss Brown if he sat out a few months this season, but the absence would give Brown’s elbow, which has already endured two setbacks this season, more time to heal.

“We have to gather all the facts and then do what’s best for Kevin Brown and the Dodgers,” Tracy said. “The most important thing is to get him healthy.”

*

Reliever Terry Mulholland, on the disabled list since May 4 because of back spasms, came to Coors Field expecting to throw a simulated game, but the left-hander wound up being activated when the Dodgers put right-hander Bryan Corey on the disabled list because of a sprained left ankle.

Corey suffered the injury Monday night, when he caught a spike on the bullpen mound in the eighth inning while warming up during the Dodgers’ 11-5 win over the Rockies.

Corey couldn’t pitch, so Tracy had to use Eric Gagne in a non-save situation.

TODAY

DODGERS’

OMAR DAAL

(4-1, 1.91 ERA)

vs.

ROCKIES’

JASON JENNINGS

(6-2, 4.70 ERA)

Coors Field, Colorado, noon.

TV--Fox Sports Net 2.

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

Update--Daal was so unhappy about pitching out of the bullpen that he demanded a trade, but the left-hander won’t be going anywhere--with Brown sidelined because of elbow and back injuries, Daal will remain in the rotation for several weeks. Jennings, the rookie right-hander, has won five straight decisions and is 1-1 against the Dodgers this season.