DODGERS NOTEBOOK: DREIFORT TO GET MORE REST TIME.

Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer

DENVER - Concerned about Darren Dreifort's arthritic right knee, the Dodgers reworked their starting rotation and tentatively scheduled the right-hander to pitch just four times in the next five weeks.

Dreifort experienced pain in his knee throughout his three-inning stint Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies. Afterward, manager Jim Tracy and pitching coach Jim Colborn met to map out a ``worst-case scenario'' plan.

The Dodgers will use Monday's off day to skip Dreifort, and he will not pitch again until June 7. Dreifort, who is 4-4 with a 4.03 ERA, said his surgically repaired knee responds well when given extra rest.

``Time off makes everything better, doesn't it?'' Dreifort said. ``It always seems that from the day after you throw until the next time you throw it's a little less irritable every day.''

Tracy and Colborn used four ensuing days off in June to further manipulate the rotation. Dreifort next would pitch June 14, then June 21 and July 5. If Dreifort responds well after a start, Tracy said the rotation could be altered to give Dreifort another start.

``None of them will pitch on short rest,'' Tracy said of his starters. ``Let me put it this way; a worst-case scenario for him is that he knows these will be the number of times he pitches because of knee soreness. If he feels much better, we can improve that situation and afford other guys an extra day of rest.''

The discussion took place after Dreifort allowed six runs in the loss to the Rockies. He had knee problems in the bullpen and during the game.

``I never saw him throw one pitch without him being in pain,'' Colborn said. ``I thought about taking him out after the first, taking him out after the second. The thought process went like this: He was in the bullpen throwing and not throwing right, but there's a pain threshold he has to get by, and the adrenalin and competition can get you through that.''

Head trainer Stan Johnston said the problem exists - in essence - because of a ``rough edge on the bone'' that grabs when Dreifort drives toward home plate in his pitching motion.

Johnston said Dreifort had ``lubricant'' injected into the knee several times to aid the joint and ``to stimulate cartilage growth,'' but nothing could be done to remedy the problem long term. Surgery isn't an option.

``It's flared up right now, and we have to get it calmed down,'' Johnston said. ``We're just trying to manage the pain level so it's at a point he can pitch efficiently.''

Tracy said he could use Dreifort to pinch hit or pinch run - and wouldn't rule it out given health concerns over Brian Jordan and Daryle Ward - because the knee is only impacted by the pitching motion.

--Jordan update: Jordan, who was hit in the left hand with a pitch Wednesday, will be examined by team physician Dr. Frank Jobe today. Jordan was upbeat after being a told Colorado Rockies orthopedist verified X-rays were negative and doesn't believe he's headed to the disabled list.

``It doesn't look like that. Just day-to-day,'' Jordan said. ``So starting (today), don't count me out.''

Jordan said the hand remains painful and swollen, but as soon as he can grip a bat and swing, he plans on playing. If the pain doesn't subside in a few days, more X-rays will be taken.

``I don't want him going out there and running the risk of something happening if we could have avoided it,'' Tracy said. ``When it's time to go, he'll know.''

--Roster move: No longer needing 12 pitchers, the Dodgers optioned left- hander Steve Coyler to Triple-A Las Vegas and purchased the contract of Bubba Crosby, a first-round selection in the 1998 draft. Crosby led the minor leagues with a .401 batting average with Las Vegas and singled in the seventh inning to score a run in his first major-league at-bat.

``I got in the cab at the airport and asked how far to the ballpark, and the driver said 25 minutes,'' Crosby said. ``After 10 minutes I kept looking around saying, `Where's the field?' I was like, `You're kiddin' me. I want to get to the field.' ''

The call-up was the last thing Crosby expected at the start of the season. In fact, in his first five years of minor-league ball he had a .272 average and just 26 homers. It was enough to send him back to Rice University to complete his business degree in the offseason, so he had a backup plan.

``I had to learn how to go the other way with balls,'' Crosby said. ``I could run, but I never knew how to bunt. It was kind of an accumulation of learning things for five years. It was just putting everything together.''

--Ward's health: Ward was unavailable because of tendinitis in his right hand. He will have an MRI today and might be examined by hand specialist Dr. Norman Zemel. Johnston said they were trying to identify the exact location of the tendinitis.

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- Brian Dohn