Gagne to pitch for 51s on Monday

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- With a little luck and another uneventful rehab appearance with Triple-A Las Vegas on Monday, injured closer Eric Gagne could be activated by the end of the week, Dodgers manager Grady Little said on Saturday.

But Little cautioned that there is no guarantee that the right-hander will resume his normal ninth-inning duties while hinting that Gagne may be eased back into that role.

"The way he feels will dictate how we use him," Little said before the Dodgers faced the Washington Nationals on Saturday at RFK Stadium. "But our plan will be to use him, not to abuse him, so we have him the rest of the season."

Gagne, who has been on the 15-day disabled list since undergoing surgery on April 7 to remove a repositioned nerve in his right elbow, pitched a perfect ninth inning for Las Vegas on Friday night, earning a save in the 51s' 8-5 victory over Salt Lake.

He threw 17 pitches, struck out two and got a ground-ball out on a comebacker. More importantly, Gagne reported no discomfort in the elbow.

"Everything was really good on Gagne's report last night," Little said. "He came out of it feeling great, and we're very pleased with what we heard."

Gagne will pitch for Las Vegas again on Monday before his progress is reevaluated, Little said.

"We've got to see him feeling good today and feeling good after another game on Monday," Little said. "His velocity was good -- 94, 95 (mph)."

That's faster than Gagne threw in Spring Training, when he pitched in pain for most of the preseason. The Dodgers had been targeting a June 1 return for Gagne, and they could hit that date if the right-hander is activated on Thursday, when Los Angeles begins a four-game homestand against Philadelphia.