Ishii to Give It a Rest

A day after saying that struggling Kazuhisa Ishii, who will be skipped in his next start, would not be moved to the bullpen in the interim, Dodger Manager Jim Tracy reversed himself Tuesday--at least for a game.

“He’s my long guy out of the ‘pen for tonight,” Tracy said.

Ishii, meanwhile, who would not be needed as a fifth starter until Tuesday, was taking his relegation in stride.

“I’m just glad that they’re giving me time to work things out by myself and for my next start I can concentrate with my full effort and have a good start,” Ishii said through a translator.

Ishii has been pounded in his last two starts, going 0-2 while giving up eight earned runs in six innings--a 12.00 earned-run average--seven hits (two home runs), five walks and six strikeouts.

In his last seven starts, Ishii’s earned-run average has ballooned from 3.31 to 4.33.

Still, Ishii, who signed with the Dodgers as a free agent on Feb. 8 after 10 standout seasons in his native Japan, acknowledged that he might be tiring from the grind of his first year in the major leagues.

Ishii, 28, has pitched 145 1/3 innings in 26 starts for the Dodgers.

In Ishii’s last five seasons in Japan he averaged 161 innings and 25 games for the Yakult Swallows.

“The only thing I can say is that with a long season everyone is tired to some extent,” Ishii said of his recent shortcomings.

“I think that has something to do with it but that’s not the main reason. Everyone at this point is having ... some fatigue and I think it’s only natural that it affects every player.”

*

Brian Jordan, on the disabled list because of a strained lower back, took soft-toss swings for the second consecutive day.

Jordan is eligible to come off the disabled list on Sunday.

TONIGHT

DODGERS’

ODALIS PEREZ

(11-8, 3.14 ERA)

vs.

DIAMONDBACKS’

RICK HELLING

(8-8, 4.29 ERA)

Dodger Stadium, 7

TV--Fox Sports Net 2. Radio--KXTA (1150), KWKW (1330).

Update--Perez has not had much success against Arizona, going 0-4 with a 6.38 ERA in six career outings against the Diamondbacks, including two losses this season. Helling, meanwhile, is 0-5 lifetime against the Dodgers in seven games.