Gagne Is Back on the Shelf

PHILADELPHIA â€”  In a development that disappointed the Dodgers but did not catch them unprepared, closer Eric Gagne will have surgery today to remove a nerve that has been causing pain in his troublesome right elbow.

Gagne, 29, has been placed on the disabled list retroactive to April 1. Until the procedure is done, it is unclear how long he will be unable to pitch

“I don’t see any way to estimate it because right now, everybody feels differently,� Dodger trainer Stan Johnston said.

The Dodgers begin a three-game series today against the Phillies. Gagne remained in Los Angeles to have the surgery, which will be performed by Dr. Frank Jobe and Dr. Frank Gambardella. Neither doctor was available for comment.

In a statement released by the Dodgers, Gagne said, “I’m very disappointed because I thought this would be behind us. It was a decision where I want to be 100% and be myself and enjoy it because I can’t pitch with that kind of pain.�

The injury was diagnosed Wednesday night while the Dodgers were playing the Atlanta Braves. Gagne was given medication to numb the nerve, then he threw in the bullpen without pain, an indication that the nerve was causing his discomfort.

Throughout the off-season and spring, Gagne said he felt good about his recovery from surgery last June to repair the ulnar collateral ligament and move the nerve so that it did not irritate the ligament. He occasionally complained of discomfort, but attributed it to scar tissue.

An MRI exam taken earlier this week showed no problem with the ligament. Johnston characterized the surgery as less invasive than last year’s procedure.

“It’s just a sensory nerve and it’s just under skin,� he said.

Gagne made 10 appearances in the spring, pitching one inning each time. Although he struck out 12, he allowed five runs and did not display the dominant fastball that helped him notch 152 saves from 2002 to 2004.

“I wish I could go four, five, six days in a row,� he said during the last week of spring training. “Right now I’m not capable of doing it.�

Gagne, 29, did not pitch in the Dodgers’ opening series against the Atlanta Braves. He served a two-game suspension Tuesday and Wednesday stemming from a dispute with an umpire last season. His last appearance came during the Freeway Series, and he felt pain after giving up a home run to the Angels’ Garret Anderson.

Was Gagne honest during the spring when he repeatedly told General Manager Ned Colletti and other Dodger officials that he felt fine?

“That’s not for me to answer,� Colletti said. “That’s a pretty tough accusation right there. I know he battles every day to play and wants to play.�

Closing duties appear in capable hands. Danys Baez, who earned a save in the Dodgers’ lone victory against the Braves and had 41 saves last year for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, was acquired in an off-season trade.

“Obviously we had no idea this was going to occur,� Colletti said. “At the same time, Eric pitched in only 14 games last year and hadn’t pitched in the second half of the season. You’ve got to be smart enough to know you don’t know what you’re going to get. We acquired Baez to shore up the bullpen and to be there in case something did happen.�

Baez, 28, is one of the game’s top emerging closers, notching 102 saves in the last three years. However, he would have been a set-up reliever in a bullpen with a healthy Gagne. Yhency Brazoban, who had 21 saves stepping in for Gagne last season, is also available.

Gagne started last season on the disabled list because of elbow pain and missed the last 3 1/2 months after the surgery. The Dodgers were optimistic, however, because Jobe decided he didn’t need to replace the ulnar collateral ligament -- a procedure commonly known as Tommy John surgery.

Gagne, who had Tommy John surgery in 1999, is making $10 million in the last year of a two-year contract.

Baez, who is making $4 million and also will be a free agent after the season, initially was disappointed that he had been traded to a team with an established closer. But the more he learned about the situation, the more he realized he might be called upon to close games for the Dodgers.

“Closing is what I do,� he said as spring training wound down. “I’ve been doing it the last three years. I saved games against the Yankees and the Red Sox and I’m ready to do it here.

“I’ll do whatever they say. If they say close, I’ll close. If they say setup man, I’ll do that. I’m gonna be there.�

Gagne’s place on the roster will be taken by Takashi Saito, a 14-year veteran of the Japanese League whom the Dodgers signed to a minor league contract during the off-season. Saito, who posted a 4.09 ERA in 11 spring innings, had been sent to triple-A Las Vegas.