Bother

One day after Charlie Haeger was chased after only five batters, the knuckleballer and the Dodgers disclosed that he had a foot injury that coincidentally might let the Dodgers recall promising rookie John Ely to fill their need for a starting pitcher Tuesday. Despite a strong outing Thursday, Ely was sent to triple-A Albuquerque to make room on the roster for reliever Jeff Weaver , who came off the disabled list. The only way Ely could be recalled within 10 days after being demoted is for another pitcher to go on the disabled list.

Lakers: Toast. Even tied, 2-2, with home-court advantage intact, they're browned on both sides with their crust trimmed off, spread with butter and jelly and just waiting to be devoured by the Thunder or whoever they play next, unless Kobe Bryant turns back into Kobe Bryant. The Kobe we knew always went down firing. The Kobe in Oklahoma City over the weekend looked like someone protecting an injury or injuries, coming off Game 3 when Kevin Durant shut him down at the end, and Game 4, the most ineffectual performance of his career.

It was only an eight-minute session of live batting practice with no speed gun, but Ervin Santana's fastball looked lively and he broke two bats Thursday, fueling optimism that the Angels right-hander can regain his 2008 All-Star form. "I feel good -- I don't have to lie about my arm," said Santana, who was slowed by an elbow sprain much of last season, when he was 8-8 with a 5.10 earned-run average. "I'm letting the ball go." When Santana was 16-7 with a 3.49 ERA in 2008, his fastball hit 96 mph regularly, and his off-speed pitches were sharp.

Kobe Bryant probably won't play Thursday against Boston, but, then again, who are the Celtics these days? Bryant did not practice Wednesday and didn't try to hide the fact that his left ankle was bothering him when asked whether he would play against the Lakers' longtime rival. "Right now it's a no," Bryant said Wednesday. "If I wake up [Thursday] and I feel drastically different, then I'll play, but I doubt it." Bryant revealed that he wasn't bothered as much by a sprained left ankle as he was by a sore small tendon on the outside part of the lower leg that runs behind the ankle bone.

The Clippers make one trip to Indianapolis in the regular season, just as they made a lone appearance, recently, in Oklahoma City. Call it an unfair quirk of the basketball schedule, which is severely messing with the homecoming hoop plans of the Clippers' youngsters. It'll be next season before Oklahoma City fans get to see native son Blake Griffin , who is out because of a stress fracture of his left kneecap. Folks in Indiana are hoping it won't be the same with Clippers shooting guard Eric Gordon , who has not played since Nov. 7. He missed seven consecutive games because of a strained groin and was on the active roster in Monday's four-point win against Minnesota but did not play.

A long-ago discredited fad diet has been getting increased attention lately, thanks to Web chatter and the claims of a bestselling author. The so-called HCG diet's recent popularity is a bit surprising -- and not just because research suggests it doesn't work. Other currently popular diets call for cutting back on fat and sugar, consuming whole grains and lean meats, and even indulging in red wine. The HCG diet, in contrast, calls for eating just 500 calories a day while taking daily injections of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG)

Manager Joe Torre downplayed the significance of how Manny Ramirez was showering when Jonathan Broxton served up a walk-off, two-run double to Jimmy Rollins in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series, saying he was surprised by how much coverage the incident received. "You guys that know Manny know that was no disrespect," Torre said. "It's his style. It doesn't have anything to do with not being interested." Ramirez was replaced by Juan Pierre in the ninth inning of Game 4 and, as was his custom whenever he was pulled from games in the regular season, immediately hit the showers.

As one who can see a cloud in any silver lining, I have a soft spot for Winnie-the-Pooh's melancholy friend, Eeyore. So I wasn't surprised to find myself agreeing with the donkey's gloomy prediction in the introduction to author David Benedictus' new book of Pooh stories, "Return to the Hundred Acre Wood," which was released this week. "He'll get it wrong," Eeyore says of the writer. "See if he doesn't." This is the first authorized sequel to A.A. Milne's tales of the beloved bear, and it was clearly penned with all the care a conscientious and talented author could muster.

The Dodgers have scratched Chad Billingsley for his scheduled start Wednesday in San Francisco, and there's a chance the All-Star right-hander's sore left hamstring could land him on the disabled list. Billingsley came out of his last two starts early with hamstring problems but the Dodgers were hopeful he might not miss a turn in the rotation after he threw off flat ground with minimal pain Sunday. However, his bullpen session today in San Francisco did not go well and Manager Joe Torre decided to shut him down.