After Surgery, Gagne Makes Appearance

Eric Gagne woke up happy but couldn’t remember why. His wife reminded him what Dr. Frank Jobe had told him when he was loopy from pain medication: Tommy John surgery on his right elbow had not been necessary. Jobe instead only had to relocate a nerve and clean out scar tissue.

Gagne, who has 160 saves since becoming the closer in 2002, should be ready for spring training rather than being sidelined for a year or more.

So excited was Gagne that he hopped into his car and drove to Anaheim, despite the soft cast on his arm and medication in his system.

Asked if he wanted to be with his teammates to boost their morale, Gagne said, “It’s for my morale. This is a big relief.”

He said he could begin playing catch in two months. If there is irritation, doctors could remove the nerve in a minor arthroscopic procedure.

Gagne said he would not play for Canada in the World Cup tournament scheduled for next year.

“I would have played for sure,” he said. “But that’s out. I want to be at full strength and ready for spring training.”

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Manager Jim Tracy has stayed awake nights thinking of ways to protect Jeff Kent in the batting order while also bolstering the top of the lineup with table-setters.

He will have no such concerns today because he is giving Kent a day off for only the second time all season.

Kent, 37, was slow getting to two ground balls Friday night, a symptom of fatigue. He went one for four Saturday night batting third for the first time this season.

“He understands his body, and when he needs to recharge,” Tracy said.

Tracy does not plan to use Kent as a designated hitter, preferring that Olmedo Saenz remain there. This would mark the first time the big three bats in the middle of the Dodger lineup -- J.D. Drew, Kent and Milton Bradley -- are all absent.

Bradley is on the disabled list because of a torn ligament in the ring finger of his right hand and Drew is day-to-day because of soreness in his left knee. Bradley took dry swings and Drew hit off a tee Saturday.

It is possible that Drew could pinch-hit or serve as designated hitter, although he has said repeatedly that he wants the soreness to subside before playing.

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Odalis Perez gave up five runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings in his second rehabilitation start for triple-A Las Vegas.... Third baseman Jose Valentin played catch for the first time since he injured his right knee nearly eight weeks ago.