GANGE OUT FOR SEASON CLOSER WILL HAVE BACK SURGERY.

Byline: VINCENT BONSIGNORE Staff Writer

Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti recently was discussing possible ways to improve his ballclub after the All-Star break.

``You know what a great (trade) deadline deal would be?'' Colletti proposed. ``Getting Eric Gagne back.''

Colletti can strike that possibility off the list.

Gagne isn't coming back this year, and he might never be back in a Dodger uniform again after learning he has to undergo season-ending back surgery to repair a herniated disk.

Gagne, 30, is scheduled to be operated on today at St. Vincent's Medical Center by Dr.Robert Watkins. The 90- minute procedure was deemed necessary after epidural and nerve block injections Thursday failed to alleviate the intense pain Gagne woke up with Tuesday.

Gagne's long-range prognosis will not be known until after the surgery, although it's a near certainty the Dodgers will not pick up the $12-million option on his contract for 2007. If they don't, they'll owe Gagne a $1 million buyout immediately after the end of the season.

Gagne's back injury is the latest in a series of physical problems that have limited him to just 16 games over the past two seasons.

Gagne, who once saved a major-league record 84 straight games, has undergone two surgeries on his right elbow over the past 10 months.

He has been on the disabled list since early June after suffering an injured ulnar nerve, and was inching toward a possible return from that when he suffered the back injury.

``He's very disappointed, as we are too,'' Dodgers manager Grady Little said. ``But there's nothing we can do about it other than get it taken care of as quickly as possible and go from there.''

Little and the Dodgers came into the season anticipating a healthy Gagne returning to his closer role after undergoing elbow surgery last season. But from the very beginning of the season, his return has been beset by setbacks.

Gagne had to undergo additional surgery in April to remove a nerve in the right elbow, and missed the first two months of the season.

His return to the mound lasted just two games before he returned to the disabled list in early June with the nerve problem.

In his only two appearances this year, Gagne threw a scoreless inning against Philadelphia on June 2, then collected his first save in almost a year on June 6 with a scoreless ninth in an 8-5 victory against the New York Mets.

Without Gagne, the Dodgers have juggled the back of their bullpen, using Danys Baez and Takashi Saito in the closer's role.

Gagne's lack of play this year didn't soften the latest blow.

``There's no good time for things like this to happen,'' Little said.

``It's sort of like when my wife gets a flat tire on the freeway, there isn't ever a good time for that to happen.''

Nevertheless, losing Gagne now doesn't alter things much, considering he never really has been a part of the bullpen this season.

``There is no immediate adjustment because we've been operating all year without him,'' Little said.

``We all hoped he'd make it back, but now we all have to move forward.''

For now, Little expects to use both Saito and Baez to close games.

``We've got some good arms down there,'' Little said. ``Baez did a good job in that role when Eric couldn't start the year, and Saito's been effective, too. We have options.''

Gagne emerged as one of the most popular sports stars in Los Angeles soon after the Dodgers converted him to a closer after three mediocre years as a starter.

Between his intimidating mound presence and the loud rendition of the Guns N' Roses song ``Welcome to the Jungle'' that played as he ran to the mound for each of his appearances at Dodger Stadium, Gagne was a huge fan favorite.

Of course, his production was the key. Gagne became the quickest reliever to notch 100 saves -- he did it in his second season as a closer -- and in 2003 he won the Cy Young Award after converting a club-record 55 saves.

But after signing a two-year, $19-million contract before the 2005 season, injuries have limited him to just nine saves.

Worse, his career is in jeopardy.

[e-mail]

[phone]