Team Is Already Used to Life Without Brown

Can the Dodgers miss a player they really haven’t had all year? Kevin Brown, the erstwhile ace who Monday was shut down for the remainder of the season because of a back injury, started 10 games for the Dodgers in 2002, throwing 63 2/3 innings and winning three games.

He was a shadow of the right-hander who was one of baseball’s most dominant pitchers from 1996-2000, he contributed little to a team that has remained in playoff contention all season despite his injuries, and if the Dodgers keep reminding themselves of that fact, they shouldn’t miss Brown.

“The team will be fine, because Kevin Brown [has started one game in] four months, and we still have 84 wins [entering Monday night],� General Manager Dan Evans said. “I’m not minimizing his departure, but we will survive.�

What if the Dodgers do survive and somehow make the playoffs, though? That’s when a Brown-out could have a bigger impact, because the Dodgers would face pitching-rich Atlanta in the division series with a rotation that lacks a dominant ace and wouldn’t appear to match up.

The Braves’ top three starters are left-hander Tom Glavine (17-10, 2.90 earned-run average), right-hander Greg Maddux (13-6, 2.74) and right-hander Kevin Millwood (17-7, 3.12), and left-hander Damian Moss (11-5, 3.31) could pitch Game 4.

The Dodgers, who also lost Kazuhisa Ishii to a head injury, would counter with dependable right-hander Hideo Nomo, who matches up with most but isn’t considered dominating, young left-hander Odalis Perez (14-9, 3.07) and either soft-throwing but inconsistent lefty Omar Daal (11-8, 3.80) or struggling right-hander Andy Ashby (9-12, 3.71), who has been rocked for 17 runs in 18 1/3 innings of his last four starts.

“At this time of the year, it isn’t as much about the matchups as it is about just going out and battling,� Dodger right fielder Shawn Green said. “Everyone’s hurt in different ways, so it doesn’t really come down to which team has what players healthy. In the playoffs [and during the stretch drive] it’s just about who does enough to win the games.�

Manager Jim Tracy made it clear Monday that Brown would not return this season under any circumstances--even if the Dodgers reached the World Series.

They owe Brown $45 million over the next three years and believe the only way they’ll get some return on their investment is if Brown takes five months to completely recover from last year’s elbow surgery and his June 11 back surgery.

“I thought it was going to be great this year, and that hasn’t been the case,� Brown said. “I’m gonna do what I can do [to come back in 2003]. Obviously, it doesn’t feel good right now. But I don’t think it’s going to have an impact down the line.�

Right-hander Kevin Beirne, who gave up two runs in 5 1/3 solid innings in Friday night’s 5-4 loss to Colorado, will replace Brown Wednesday night, but the Dodgers will likely use Monday’s off day to skip Beirne in the rotation next week.

“I’m just going to approach it the same way I did against the Rockies,� Beirne said. “I have a lot of respect for San Francisco, they have a lot of hitters who can hurt you at any time. I’m just going to go as long as I can go and try to keep the team in the game.�

TONIGHT

DODGERS’

OMAR DAAL

(11-8, 3.80 ERA)

vs.

GIANTS’

KIRK RUETER

(12-8, 3.23 ERA)

Dodger Stadium, 7 p.m.

TV--Fox Sports Net 2. Radio--KXTA (1150), KWKW (1330).

Update--The Dodgers are 24-13 against left-handed starters this season and had success against Rueter last Wednesday in San Francisco, ripping him for six runs and nine hits, including Brian Jordan’s three-run homer, in four innings of a 7-3 victory. After an eight-start stretch in which he went 4-0 with a 1.87 ERA, Daal has given up nine earned runs and 16 hits in 8 1/3 innings of his last two starts, both losses.