DODGERS NOTEBOOK: ANDERSON OUT AT LEAST 2 MONTHS.

Byline: TONY JACKSON 

Staff Writer

MIAMI -- An MRI exam on the right elbow of Dodgers infielder Marlon Anderson revealed more bone chips and the need for a second arthroscopic surgery to remove them. That procedure will take place Friday in Los Angeles, after which he is expected to miss at least two months.

Anderson had the same surgery Oct. 10 and felt discomfort in the elbow within days of the start of spring training, leading to the rather obvious question of whether he came back too quickly. But in this case, "too quickly" was a full four months after what was a relatively minor procedure. Thus, if Anderson did, in fact, come back too quickly, it's tough to blame it on anything other than misfortune.

With Anderson out, the Dodgers will proceed for now with everyday third baseman-turned- utility infielder Wilson Betemit, an alleged switch hitter who is 1for15 this season from the right side, as their only left-handed bat on their bench.

Not to worry, manager Grady Little said.

"There are a lot of times when having a left-handed hitter against a right-handed pitcher may not be as good as maybe having another right- handed hitter against a right-handed pitcher," Little said. "It's not etched in stone, even if you have that (left-handed hitter) available. Everybody knows what Olmedo Saenz (a right-handed hitter) is capable of doing, and it doesn't matter how a guy is throwing."

That's a nice thought on Little's part, but Saenz is hitting .429 (3 for 7) this season against lefties and .143 (2 for 14) against righties.

Yeager injured: Former Dodgers catcher Steve Yeager, now the hitting coach for the club's high Single-A Inland Empire affiliate in San Bernardino, received close to 300stitches in his right arm, neck and ear following a two-vehicle accident on the 134Freeway as he was returning home from Saturday's game against Rancho Cucamonga.

According to various sources, Yeager swerved at the last moment to avoid being crushed by another vehicle, which had struck the median on the opposite side of the freeway, gone airborne and was about to come down on top of Yeager's vehicle. Yeager has been released from the hospital and is expected to be sidelined for at least another week or two.

"I talked to him, and he is in great spirits," Dodgers player development director DeJon Watson said. "He is going to go back and see a plastic surgeon about the scarring on his arm. He is still very sore, and every day, he feels different aches and pains."

Also: Andy LaRoche returned to the lineup after leaving Monday's game as a precaution after he was hit in the left wrist by a pitch. He hit in the cage Tuesday and felt fine.

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- Tony Jackson