DODGERS NOTEBOOK : BUTLER HAS TONSILLECTOMY IN ATLANTA.

Dodgers center fielder Brett Butler had successful surgery Friday morning in Atlanta to have his tonsils removed.

Butler was at home in nearby Duluth by Friday afternoon and planned to watch the Dodgers play the Pittsburgh Pirates via satellite, his wife, Eveline, said.

``I told him I'd let him try, as long as he doesn't get antsy, he can watch,'' she said. ``If he doesn't behave I'll take it away an inning at a time.''

Good news, bad news: Shortly after being told he would join the Dodgers in Pittsburgh as the roster replacement for Butler, Mike Busch learned that his 16-month-old daughter, Shunyl, fractured her pelvis and would be in a body cast for six weeks.

``The doctor told me she's going to be fine,'' Busch said. ``That's all you can do.

``I can't turn this opportunity down.''

Busch, a right-handed bat off the bench the Dodgers have lacked, hit .320 with five homers and 17 RBI at Triple-A Albuquerque, despite a foot injury.

``I was confident out of spring training and just took that into the season,'' Busch said. Notes: Shortstop Greg Gagne returned to the lineup after resting his strained hamstring for five games. Gagne said the hamstring was better, though he feared six consecutive games on artificial turf, in Pittsburgh and in Cincinnati. St. Louis has replaced its turf with grass. . . . Minor-league infielder Garey Ingram had surgery Friday to repair his right rotator cuff. . . . Albuquerque outfielder Karim Garcia had his left elbow examined by Dr. Frank Jobe, who found a strain.