DODGERS NOTEBOOK: GAGNE'S `DEAD ARM' REINCARNATED.

Byline: Rich Hammond  Staff Writer

The Dodgers collectively exhaled Thursday afternoon when Eric Gagne played catch, reported no further problems with his pitching shoulder and was declared healthy enough to return to action.

Gagne, diagnosed with mild tendinitis, said he would continue with treatment as a precaution, and manager Jim Tracy said he would limit Gagne to one inning Thursday.

``I'm fine now. It wasn't a big deal,'' Gagne said. ``It was just like having a dead arm or tiredness. It wasn't responding the way I wanted it to, but it feels good now.

``The day off (Wednesday) was good, and I woke up (Thursday) morning and felt fine.''

Tracy said Gagne could possibly pitch more than one inning this weekend if the games against the San Francisco Giants are meaningful to the Dodgers.

``We'll check with him and check with the medical people to see where he's at,'' Tracy said.

--Taking shape: If Sunday's game against the Giants still has relevance to the Dodgers, it's likely that Odalis Perez will start on three days' rest.

Tracy said Thursday that he had not made a firm decision, possibly concerned by the fact that Perez threw 115 pitches Wednesday and that the left-hander's shoulder hasn't been 100 percent this season. As the rotation is set up now, Kazuhisa Ishii is scheduled to pitch Sunday.

``If Odalis is able to do it, he would be the right guy to start the game,'' Tracy said.

Regardless of the playoff situation, either Elmer Dessens or Edwin Jackson will start Saturday. Dessens was a starter for most of his career but has been a long reliever since he joined the Dodgers in August. Jackson, a 21-year-old rookie, has struggled this of late.

--So close: In one of his many defenses of Milton Bradley this season, general manager Paul DePodesta said he would love to have nine players just like Bradley.

A few years ago, however, the Dodgers passed on Bradley altogether. Bob Daly, the team's former managing partner, said that former general manger Kevin Malone was once offered Bradley, by the Montreal Expos, in exchange for Eric Gagne, back when Gagne was a young, struggling starting pitcher.

``I turned it down,'' said Daly, who had final authority on all trades. ``The reason was two-fold. First, I didn't believe I should be trading young pitchers. But the other thing was that I heard he was a talented player, but he had a temper problem.

``I really do think that, for his own sake, he needs to get this under control. If not, one day he's going to do something that really gets him in trouble. I think he just can't help it. Something snaps.''

Bradley served the second of a five-game suspension Thursday but took batting practice.

--High honors: Shortstop Joel Guzman and right-hander Chad Billingsley have been named as the Dodgers' 2004 minor-league Player and Pitcher of the Year, the team announced.

Guzman, 19, started the year in Single-A Vero Beach (Fla.) and hit .307 with 14 home runs and 51 RBI in 87 games, then earned a promotion to Double-A Jacksonville (Fla.) and hit .280 with nine homers and 35 RBI.

Billingsley, 20, the team's top draft pick in 2003, started off at Vero Beach and went 7-4 with a 2.35 ERA, then moved on to Jacksonville and went 4-0 with a 2.98 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 42 1/3 innings.

--Big day: Before the game, the Dodgers honored Tommy Lasorda for his 55th anniversary with the team. The tribute included a taped message from President Bush.

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo:

ERIC GAGNE

Closer and the Dodgers breathe a sigh of relief after he plays catch without any problems.

Box:

DODGERS vs. SAN FRANCISCO

- Rich Hammond