DODGERS NOTEBOOK: BROWN HOPEFUL OF COMING BACK.

Byline: Rich Hammond Staff Writer

The sight of Kevin Brown with baseball in hand Tuesday afternoon was enough to draw a smile to the face of Dodgers manager Jim Tracy.

Brown, out since July 18 with a torn muscle in his pitching elbow, began a throwing program Tuesday, and Tracy said he is optimistic the pitcher will return before the end of the season. Brown had a second MRI on the elbow on Monday, which showed improvement in the elbow.

Tracy said Brown played light catch for 8 to 10 minutes and will do the same today before taking Thursday off and throwing Friday. Tracy said no timetable has been set for Brown's return.

``He felt very good, no problems, so he will continue on with the program,'' Tracy said. ``We wanted to (have another MRI) to see where he was at and we were very encouraged by what we saw. All I know is that they gave me the word 'improvement.'

``As of today, we are optimistic that he will be back at some point this season, barring any kind of major setback or anything like that.''

--Baldwin back? The news was similarly good for another injured Dodgers starting pitcher, James Baldwin, who could return to the rotation Saturday against the New York Mets.

Baldwin, suffering from a strained muscle in his rib cage, will miss his scheduled start today, but as long as he suffers no setbacks this week, he will rejoin the rotation Saturday.

``Baldwin did some throwing out there (Tuesday) and he has definitely improved,'' Tracy said. ``He will throw again (today), play catch, and then we will test it again on Thursday in batting practice. If everything goes well and there's no setbacks, he will be the starter on Saturday.''

--Super sub: Taking Baldwin's place in the rotation tonight is Giovanni Carrara, who is proving to be one of the Dodgers' most valuable players because of his versatility.

Carrara will make his third start of the season and has earned the confidence of Tracy in just about any situation.

``You have to feel good about replacing (Baldwin) with a guy like Giovanni Carrara,'' Tracy said. ``He has pretty much served every role on this pitching staff he could possibly serve with the exception of closing a game.

``We feel very good about sending Giovanni Carrara out there, knowing the job he has done as both a starter and a reliever.''

Tracy had other options, including Terry Mulholland and Dennis Springer, but stuck with Carrara, who has also made 27 relief appearances and is 2-1 with a 2.88 ERA.

``With Terry Mulholland and the number of times we've used him out of the bullpen,'' Tracy said, ``I just don't think it's fair to send him out there and try to get five or six innings out of him right now.

--Moving up: Alex Cora, who hit safely in 15 of 19 games going into Tuesday, hit leadoff for just the third time this season. Cora furthered that streak with a first-inning single.

The Dodgers' regular leadoff hitters, Marquis Grissom and Tom Goodwin, are hitting .241 and .233, respectively, so the move wasn't a huge surprise.

``I've been swinging the bat well, so that's probably why I'm in this situation,'' Cora said. ``I think (Tracy) has some confidence in me and this is how he is showing it.

--No big deal: With all the injuries to the Dodgers' rotation, catcher Paul Lo Duca has handled 11 starters this season but said the constant shuffling is not a problem.

``No, not at all,'' Lo Duca said. ``Most of these guys, even if they are just called up, I caught them in the minors or in spring training, so it's usually not that difficult.

``It was actually more of a problem with (relievers) Mulholland and (Mike) Trombley, because I had never seen those guys before.''

Chad Kreuter got the start Tuesday because he is the personal catcher for Chan Ho Park, and Lo Duca said that situation does not bother him, at least at this point.

``Chan Ho has been great the past two years and a lot of that has to do with Chad,'' Lo Duca said. ``I knew the situation coming into this year. We're a better team right now when he catches Chan Ho.''

But would he like the situation to be addressed soon?

``I don't know,'' Lo Duca said. ``We'll see.''

DODGERS vs. MONTREAL

Time: 7:10 p.m., at Dodger Stadium.

TV/Radio: Fox Sports Net 2; 1150-AM, 1330-AM (Spanish).

Matchup: It's one question mark against another, as Dodgers fill-in starter Giovanni Carrara (2-1, 2.88 ERA) faces Montreal's Carl Pavano, who makes his first start since undergoing elbow surgery last August. Carrara's last start came on July 13, when he had a no decision in the Dodgers' 5-3 victory over Texas. He is 0-1 with a 2.70 ERA in his two starts this year. Pavano made three rehab starts before he was recalled on Friday.

- Rich Hammond

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DODGERS vs. MONTREAL (see text)