updated 1:00 a.m. ET Aug. 18, 2004

LOS ANGELES - Dodgers reliever Darren Dreifort was diagnosed with torn ligament in his right knee Tuesday, an injury that could sideline him for the rest of the year.

On Monday night, Dreifort was booed off the mound in the eighth inning while taking the loss as Florida beat Los Angeles 4-2. The right-hander inherited the setup role for the NL West leaders after Guillermo Mota was traded to the Marlins on July 30.

“It’s very disappointing,” Dreifort said, “but what can I be mad about? I’ve done what I can do to be ready on the field, and a lot of people in this clubhouse have put in hard work and good faith to put me out there.”

Team physician Dr. Frank Jobe said an MRI exam showed a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament, calling it a Grade 2 sprain. He strongly suggested season-ending surgery, but said the injury is not career-threatening.

“The majority of these are operated on,” Jobe said. “I don’t think he’s going to go without surgery, but we want to watch him for a short period of time to see. And if he does show me that he can do it without surgery, I’ll be surprised.”

The Dodgers haven’t officially placed Dreifort on the disabled list yet because they aren’t certain who will replace him on the roster, or who will take over as setup man.

“I’ve very seldom ever seem a Grade 2 tear in the anterior cruciate ligament heal without surgery. I’ve heard of a few, but not very often,” Jobe said.

“I don’t think he can really play on it the way it is now because it gives him a real sharp pain in the knee. And you don’t like to have a pitcher pitch with an injury because, for sure, he’s going to get another one somewhere else,” he said.

Dreifort is in the fourth season of a $55 million, three-year contract, and has pitched a combined total of 205 2-3 innings in that span as both a starter and reliever.

Dreifort is 1-4 with a 4.44 ERA in a career-high 60 appearances this year. This is the first season he has pitched in relief since 1997.

He missed the entire 1995 season because of reconstructive elbow surgery, and sat out all of 2002 because of his second Tommy John surgery. During his rehab, he injured his knee during his rehab and underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair a weakened medial collateral ligament.

Last September, Dreifort had arthroscopic surgery to repair a partial tear of the right labrum in his hip, which manager Jim Tracy said has continued to bother him this season.

“It’s tough,” Tracy said. “I sat back there in the training room with him a little while, and there’s a few scars in that area from previous surgeries.”

When asked if he’s ever seen any ballplayer has as much bad luck with injuries, Jobe said, “He has not done well, as far as his connective tissues are concerned.”

Dreifort entered Monday night’s game against the Marlins in the eighth inning with the score tied. He felt discomfort pitching to his first batter, Luis Castillo, then faced five more — allowing an RBI single to Mike Lowell and wild-pitching another run home with the bases loaded.

MORE FROM BASEBALL

Baseball Section Front

Pitching makes Red Sox team to beat Eyes on AL East, NL West as second half starts MLB blog: Mauer gets nod over Bartlett as MVP MLB blog: Who's NL MVP so far? Pujols ... by far MLB blog: Mets fans shouldn't care about Pedro MLB blog: Bay blogs about ‘weird’ interaction with Ichiro AL All-Stars make their best pitch yet   Images: See the HR Derby, All-Star rosters Special feature: Top baseball All-Star moments More subpoenas issued in Clemens case Baseball Section Front   Add Baseball headlines to your news reader: