DODGERS NOTEBOOK: PEREZ GOES ON DL; ERICKSON DEMOTED.

Byline: Rich Hammond Staff Writer

The Dodgers lost two starting pitchers Sunday, one to injury and the other to ineffectiveness.

Odalis Perez is headed to the 15-day disabled list because of persistent shoulder tightness, but his next turn in the rotation won't be taken by Scott Erickson, who has been demoted to the bullpen.

Instead, Wilson Alvarez will come out of the bullpen to take Perez's start on Wednesday, and the Dodgers likely will promote a pitcher, perhaps Edwin Jackson, to start Saturday.

Perez missed his scheduled start Friday because of the tender shoulder, and experienced pain while throwing off flat ground twice this week. Perez hoped to throw a bullpen session Sunday to test the shoulder, but was in enough pain that he didn't even attempt to throw.

Erickson took Perez's turn Friday but got only five outs, and manager Jim Tracy decided to pull the plug on Erickson, who had been a surprise addition to the rotation coming out of spring training. Erickson, who has made 364 starts and five relief appearances in his career, now will come out of the bullpen.

``He had a very good start against Washington and a very good start against Atlanta, but he's been very erratic in between,'' Tracy said of Erickson, who is 1-4 with a 7.22 ERA.

Alvarez, who has allowed one earned run in 10 2/3 innings of relief, isn't considered a long-term answer because of durability concerns, so the Dodgers still have some rotation issues to resolve.

Tracy has not committed to a pitcher for Saturday, but the Dodgers most likely will call up a pitcher from Triple-A Las Vegas. Jackson, who once was considered the team's top pitching prospect, is the obvious choice, because he is already on the 40-man roster and wouldn't require further moves.

Jackson has a 6.99 ERA in Las Vegas, compared to Pat Mahomes' 3.14 ERA, but bringing up Mahomes would require the Dodgers to designate for assignment a player on their 40-man roster. It's possible, however, that the Dodgers could instead release Erickson and add Mahomes to the roster.

It's possible, however, that the Dodgers could instead release Erickson and add Mahomes to the roster.

If the Dodgers put Perez on the disabled list retroactive to May 15, the day after his last start, he theoretically could return May 30. If not, the Dodgers will have to decide whether to give Alvarez another start or find yet another pitcher to take that turn.

Perez, who is 4-4 with a 4.50 ERA, spent four weeks on the disabled list last season with rotator-cuff irritation, but this problem is not believed to be as serious.

--Second chance? If he sticks around, Erickson won't have a defined role. Because of his lack of relief experience, Erickson is most likely to start an inning, rather than come into the middle of one, but Tracy also said Erickson's sinkerball could be effective in inducing a ground-ball double play.

``He has a tendency to go through the lineup (successfully) one time,'' Tracy said. ``I'm very interested in seeing where this goes.''

--So close: Eric Gagne missed a chance for his first save of the season. The Dodgers led 5-2 in the eighth, with Gagne warming up in the bullpen, but then Oscar Robles singled home Milton Bradley for a four-run lead. Gagne entered the game anyway and retired the side in order in the ninth.

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Pitcher Odalis Perez is headed to the disabled list because of persistent shoulder tightness.

Nick Laham/Getty Images

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