BRADLEY DONE FOR YEAR; L.A. RETURN IN DOUBT.

Byline: Tony Jackson  Staff Writer

The Dodgers' biggest headache took care of itself Wednesday when center fielder Milton Bradley was told by Dr. Frank Jobe, the team orthopedist, that he needed season-ending surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon in his left knee and possible damage to his anterior cruciate ligament.

Bradley will get a second opinion this week from Dr. Tim Kremchek, the Cincinnati Reds' medical director, but he is expected to have the surgery, which might mark the end of what has been a turbulent, two-year stint in Los Angeles.

``He has an 80 percent tear of the patellar tendon and also some issues with the ACL,'' said Dodgers general manager Paul DePodesta, who announced the news minutes before Wednesday's game began.

The announcement followed two days of meetings among DePodesta, Bradley and owner Frank McCourt following Bradley's latest bout with controversy, in which he stopped just short of calling teammate Jeff Kent a racist.

Bradley and Kent engaged in a heated clubhouse exchange following Saturday night's victory at Florida after Kent criticized Bradley for not scoring from first base on his seventh-inning double. After Bradley publicly spoke out against Kent (without naming him) that night, Kent responded Sunday, and the matter appeared to be dead. But Bradley blasted Kent again Tuesday, seeming to imply that Kent's criticism of him was racially motivated.

DePodesta said the meetings dealt with Bradley's physical health but declined to say whether they also involved Bradley's conduct. He also declined to say whether Bradley, if he wasn't hurt, would be disciplined.

``That's hypothetical,'' DePodesta said. ``I won't answer a hypothetical.''

That DePodesta addressed the team just before making the announcement - an unusual tactic when a player is injured - is a clear indication Bradley's blowup with Kent was addressed.

``Certainly, we felt like it needed to be addressed, and it has been,'' DePodesta said.

Bradley is signed only through the end of this season, at $2.5 million, and will be eligible for arbitration for the second time after the season. Given that Bradley hasn't been especially productive since the Dodgers acquired him from Cleveland last year after the Indians grew tired of his act - and that he has been involved in incidents involving umpires, fans and a teammate - club management might decide to sever ties with the former Long Beach Poly High star.

That decision doesn't have to be officially made until December, and DePodesta wasn't willing to make it Wednesday.

``There are a lot of things that go into that,'' he said. ``Even with his health, we will have to see how things go. I'm not sure it's something I can answer today.''

DePodesta spoke volumes with what he didn't say, stopping far short of saying he wants Bradley back with the Dodgers in 2006.

In other news, negotiations with top draft pick Luke Hochevar, a right-hander and incoming senior at the University of Tennessee, remain on life support. Hochevar did not attend the first day of fall classes in Knoxville, and the Dodgers will maintain his rights until he does. Scouting director Logan White said he talked Wednesday with Scott Boras, the agent advising Hochevar, but wouldn't characterize them as productive or non-productive.

``I would say the window of opportunity is still there, but it's not real big,'' White said.

Tony Jackson, [phone]

tony.jackson(at)dailynews.com