A day after putting starting pitcher Brad Penny on the disabled list, the Los Angeles Dodgers have scratched fellow starter Hiroki Kuroda from Wednesday's start as he will undergo a shoulder examination similar to the one Penny had Tuesday.
Kuroda was sent back to L.A. after he told the team his shoulder was bothering him. If Kuroda is cleared by the team doctor to resume pitching immediately, he will start Saturday when the Dodgers play host to
Cleveland.
Kuroda (3-6, 4.04 ERA) didn't seem particularly concerned about his right shoulder, which he said first tightened while pitching on a cold night in Chicago on May 27."I was able to throw in the bullpen and in games, and even this time, I could have pitched if I had to," he said.
Yet he said he had been suffering from the condition all season but only told Manager Joe Torre about it on Tuesday. Kuroda lasted just 2 1/3 innings and gave up six runs on five hits in his last start on Thursday at San Diego.
"When he's been able to pitch, he's pitched," Torre said. "His numbers have been good. But I would have liked to have been told sooner because I'm concerned about the health and welfare of the pitcher."
With Kuroda sidelined, Derek Lowe (4-6, 4.03 ERA) saw his start moved up a day and will start Wednesday's game against the Reds. Lowe is only 2-2 despite a 2.00 ERA over his last five outings. The right-hander is 2-1 with a 3.24 ERA in three career games against the Reds but hasn't faced them since Aug. 29, 2006.
The Reds give the ball to Bronson Arroyo (4-5, 5.31), a teammate of Lowe's on the 2004 World Series champion Red Sox. Arroyo is 1-2 with a 3.75 ERA in seven games - six starts - against the Dodgers.
Cincinnati is a slight -121 money line betting favorite for Wednesday's game on WagerWeb.com.
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