Dodgers pitcher Brad Penny has inflammation and pain in his throwing shoulder and probably shouldn't have gone out to pitch today and give up seven runs to the Tiger. Penny said he felt the discomfort while warming up in the bullpen before the game, but didn't report any issues until after he was removed from the game.

"He didn't mention it to me," Manager Joe Torre said. "When he came out of the game, I found out."

"I probably shouldn't have gone out there, but that would have put the team in a horrible spot," Penny said. "I wasn't feeling OK at all. You just feel it on every pitch. It makes it tough. It affects everything."

The first sign of Penny's shoulder acting up came officially last month when in Anaheim it was announced his start would be pushed back a day. But the numbers show that Penny hasn't been himself, and he said he had been taking a fast-acting anti-inflammatory medication before starts so he could pitch.

Trainer Stan Conte said the discomfort was surprising given Penny had gone through his bullpen sessions and workouts without incident, and said Penny told him that after his previous two outings, he felt "perfect."

Penny now is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday to find out the cause of his shoulder troubles. He was removed in the fourth inning, and by the fifth, plans for the MRI had been made.

The news might get worse for the Dodgers. It was learned that Chan Ho Park, a possible replacement for Penny, has been unavailable to pitch out of the bullpen for the past two days after feeling a pinch in the back of his shoulder during his previous outing. He feels better, but still feels a little something when throwing his slider. For what it's worth, Park says he's available to pitch.

2 Comments

Xeifrank on June 14, 2008 11:56 PM said:

Now perhaps the Dodgers best pitcher (HongZhi Guo) can rejoin the starting rotation.
vr, Xeifrank

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Craig P on June 15, 2008 8:01 AM said:

Kind of sad but Eric Stults* will be a definite improvement over Penny, at least the Penny we've mostly seen this year.

Would've been nice for Brad to not take one for the team and tell them earlier that he wasn't 100%. Thanks, Brad.

*I presume it will be he who would be called up, yah?

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