DODGERS NOTEBOOK: FOR BROWN, THE REAL TEST COMES NOW.

Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer

VERO BEACH, Fla. - Dodgers manager Jim Tracy was pleased with what he saw from right-hander Kevin Brown during a brief, two-inning appearance Friday against the Florida Marlins.

Brown threw 28 pitches, 14 strikes, allowed one hit, walked a batter and struck out a batter.

All was good, but it doesn't mean a thing.

What does, according to everyone in the organization, is how Brown's elbow feels when he comes to Vero Beach today.

After all, his first spring performance went well. But the next day he reported stiffness in his surgically repaired right elbow. It caused Dodgers decision-makers to slow down the recovery process and brought up the possibility Brown might not be ready when the season begins April 2.

``Where will he be (today)? We'll wait and see,'' Dodgers manager Jim Tracy said. ``Where he will be will dictate the next time he goes out there, and will the workload increase? If the workload increases with (Brown), this workload could increase more than it would with someone else, where all of a sudden he's marched himself out to where there is no decision to be reached. He's the guy. But I can't sit here and speculate how he will feel (today).''

Brown, who celebrated his 37th birthday, didn't say much afterward.

``All I've got to tell you is I felt fine,'' Brown said. ``My arm felt good.''

Brown had surgery to repair a torn flexor muscle in his right elbow in September and is behind the rest of the pitchers. He threw 32 pitches in his first outing but was being held to two innings against the Marlins. Brown's velocity was in the low 90s, topping out at 92.

But is Brown far enough along to make three or four more spring starts and get ready for the season? Tracy said he would like Brown to be able to throw five or six innings in an outing to be ready. That time might not exist.

His counterpart on the Marlins, Ryan Dempster, is getting ready to pitch one of the first two days of the season and pitched five innings. Each of the Dodgers starters have pitched at least three innings in a start, with Omar Daal, Eric Gagne and Odal is Perez throwing four innings.

``Could (Brown) be out to where he needs to be between now and opening day?'' Tracy said. ``You better believe he could, sure he could. Because it's Kevin Brown, and Kevin Brown is a completely different guy from anyone that we have seen, from anyone I have ever been around. With someone else, I don't know if the process will work.''

Colborn said if Brown experienced no setbacks, particularly with the stiffness in the top of the elbow, he would likely pitch again Tuesday against Houston.

--Learning in left: Dodgers manager Tracy wants to get left fielder Brian Jordan playing time in center field to create more options during the season, but finding a balance is important since Jordan is learning left. He hasn't played there since 1994, and Jordan has 55 starts in left field. He's made 100 starts in center field and 832 in right field, where he played with Atlanta.

``I started my career in left field and hated it and wound up in right,'' Jordan said.

Does he still hate left field?

``I can't say that, but I just have to get used to it,'' Jordan said. ``My thing is I'm a potential (Gold Glove winner) in right. I don't want to go left and be a mediocre left fielder. It's just a matter of working hard, making that adjustment, seeing angles, getting better.''

--Odds and ends: Left-hander Omar Daal is trying to wiggle his way into the starting mix and he had another strong outing. Daal pitched four scoreless innings, allowing three hits. ... Terry Mulholland, 39, who will begin the season in the bullpen barring injuries, started and pitched three hitless innings against Atlanta. Mulholland faced 10 batters, retiring nine and hitting a batter. ``He's pitching like two 20-year-olds,'' Dodgers pitching coach Jim Colborn said. ... Colborn praised the inning of lefty Jeff Williams, who struck out two left-handed Atlanta batters with his new, side-winding delivery. The Dodgers are hopeful Williams will hone his skills at Triple-A Las Vegas and provide depth during the season.

DODGERS vs. YANKEES (SS)

Time: 10:05 a.m., Holman Stadium.

TV/Radio: Ch. 13; 1150-AM, 1330-AM.

Matchup: The Yankees make the three-hour trek across the state and send LH Sterling Hitchcock to the mound against Dodgers LH Kazuhisa Ishii.

Friday's results: Paul Lo Duca had two hits and drove in arun as the split-squad Dodgers beat Atlanta 3-1. Former Dodger Gary Sheffield was 0 for 2 for the Braves. Kevin Brown pitched two scorelessinnings and McKay Christensen and Chad Kreuter each drove in a run in a 2-1 victory against Florida.

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DODGERS vs. YANKEES (SS) (see text)