Giovanni Carrara appeared in 110 games for the Dodgers between 2001 and 2002. (Jon SooHoo/Dodgers)
LOS ANGELES -- Faced with only tough choices, the Dodgers called a big timeout on Hideo Nomo on Thursday, placing him on the 15-day disabled list with what was described as rotator cuff tendinitis.
The 35-year-old Nomo, winless since April 21 and battered by the Giants Wednesday night, will undergo an MRI Friday. He said the issue isn't pain but arm strength.
There have been concerns over Nomo's velocity since Spring Training, attributed to a large degree to a slow recovery from arthroscopic surgery last Oct. 8 to clean up his rotator cuff and labrum. Specifically, the club has been puzzled over Nomo's decreased velocity pitching from the windup compared to the stretch.
However, recent tests show Nomo has experienced a loss of arm strength from the beginning of the season. It is hoped that therapy and an exercise regimen will restore enough strength that Nomo can contribute later in the season, although nobody gave a timetable for his return. He is in the final year of a contract that pays him $9 million in 2004.
"He has not complained to anyone about discomfort this season, but there has to be a reason why there's a distinct difference between his velocity in the windup and stretch," said manager Jim Tracy. "To say that this is the cause or that it will fix or cure it, nobody is that smart."
Tracy, however, also said Nomo's complicated mechanics, balance and timing have contributed to his 3-10 record and 8.06 ERA. The Dodgers couldn't afford to keep sending him to the mound the way he was throwing, but with a shortage of starting prospects at Triple-A believed rehabilitation and the potential for a return made more sense than releasing the Opening Day starter.
"To send a guy out there like this, with what he's meant to this club the last two years, seems totally unfair," said Tracy. "It's like sending a soldier to war without a weapon."
Hideo Nomo / P
Born: 08/31/68
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 235 lbs
Bats: R / Throws: R
Nomo, who insisted all season that he felt fine physically, said he is not in "excruciating pain, it's more inflammation and I can't get strength behind my pitches."
He and Tracy rejected suggestions this move should have been made earlier in the season or that he rushed back from the surgery.
"I wanted to go out there to help the team, but I'm losing strength and the batters are hitting me," Nomo said. "During the season, I couldn't tell. Everything seemed fine. Now I can't get enough strength behind the pitches. That's the main reason I decided to go on the disabled list."
Nomo's season has basically mirrored his nightmare of 1998, when he was slow recovering from elbow surgery and was about to be demoted to the bullpen when he asked instead for a trade and was dealt to the New York Mets and, ultimately, resurrected his career.
Pitching moves: Disabling Nomo was accompanied by the return of reliever Giovanni Carrara, who was signed last month after declaring free agency from the Cubs organization and was 0-1 with a 2.51 ERA and two saves at Triple-A Las Vegas. Carrara, released by the Dodgers before the 2003 season, provides durable long relief, especially should Wilson Alvarez be moved into a starting role.
They first plan to call up 20-year-old rookie Edwin Jackson to pitch Saturday in place of Odalis Perez, who also has rotator cuff inflammation. Perez said his shoulder had improved so much by Thursday, he might toss Friday.
In a best-case scenario, Perez would take Nomo's start Monday. More likely, it will be Alvarez or Triple-A right-hander Brian Falkenborg. A decision must be made by Saturday because the Dodgers will need to make a roster move to promote Jackson. If Perez does not go on the disabled list, Carrara could be outrighted back to Las Vegas. The workload on the bullpen in the next three games will impact the decision.
Another option is the acquisition of a pitcher by trade.
Dodgers still buyers: Despite the recent tailspin, Dodgers general manager Paul DePodesta said his club is still in the race and he's still looking to improve the roster through a trade.
"I'm definitely still in the buying mode," said DePodesta, when asked if recent events had turned him into a seller instead of a buyer. "That's the way I'll feel unless and until we're way out of this thing. I believe in the team enough. They've played well enough at times. They deserve to be in the position of buying and improving."
DePodesta's comments came in the wake of another disappointing performance from Nomo, which left the Dodgers in desperate need of starting pitching reinforcements.
The Dodgers made a run at Seattle's Freddy Garcia before he was dealt to the White Sox, but with few clubs having thrown in the towel this early in the season, DePodesta indicated the best addition to the staff might have to come from within, namely, Jackson.
"At some point," said DePodesta, "when you line up the pitchers that are available at a given time, Edwin just might be better than the guys that are out there and that's when you have to think about giving him the chance to show whether he's ready to take that next step, not for just a spot start but to move into the rotation."
Ken Gurnick is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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Hideo Nomo / P
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