DODGERS NOTEBOOK: CALL-UPS TO COUNT IF THEY CONTRIBUTE.

Byline: Tony Jackson  Staff Writer

MONTREAL - Help is on the way for the Dodgers. But it isn't clear how much help.

Manager Jim Tracy said Thursday that few in this year's cast of September call-ups will find themselves on the field at critical times. And general manager Paul DePodesta said two weeks ago that for the most part, he will only bring up players he feels can help the club.

That probably means a third catcher, an extra reliever or two and maybe a couple of position players who have had solid enough seasons in the minors to be rewarded with the chance to watch a month's worth of major- league games from the end of the bench.

``I can see maybe a couple of specialty guys, where you might utilize either a situational hitter or runner, that type of stuff,'' Tracy said. ``But we're going to primarily go with the guys who got us to this point.''

Injured pitchers Hideo Nomo, Edwin Jackson and Brad Penny all are expected back sometime in September, so they will fill three of the additional spots when roster limits expand to 40. Reliever Mike Venafro, who was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday, will fill another. Scott Stewart, a reliever with major-league experience who was acquired in a minor-league deal with Cleveland last week, probably will fill a spot.

Tom Wilson, who also has major-league experience and was acquired in a minor-league deal two weeks ago with the New York Mets, probably will be the extra catcher, allowing Tracy considerably more flexibility in how he uses current catchers David Ross and Brent Mayne.

Pitcher Brian Falkenborg, who was up earlier this season, and outfielder Chin-Feng Chen, who was up twice this season and is coming off an Olympic appearance for Chinese Taipei, are possibilities. If all of those players come up, it will give the Dodgers a 33-man roster, and DePodesta has said the team won't carry more than 35.

Two other strong possibilities are shortstop Antonio Perez and outfielder Henri Stanley, both of whom are DePodesta trade acquisitions. Infielder Joe Thurston, who had a brief stint with the Dodgers in May, is another possibility.

--Injury updates: Tracy said he is not concerned about Jackson's rocky rehabilitation outing at Las Vegas on Wednesday night, when the right- hander walked five and allowed five runs in 1 1/3 innings.

``Even though he walked guys, I would say he made progress from a velocity standpoint,'' Tracy said. ``His velocity was way up, but his command wasn't (there). What was going to be 60-plus pitches got cut down to somewhere in the 40s. But he threw a few pitches at 98 (mph).

Penny (strained right biceps and inflamed nerve) played catch for the second day in a row, this time stretching it to 90 feet. ... Nomo (rotator cuff inflammation) made his third rehab start for Las Vegas on Thursday, striking out 10 Fresno hitters in 5 1/3 innings. He allowed three earned runs on five hits.

CAPTION(S):

box

Box:

DODGERS at NEW YORK 

- Tony Jackson