09/08/2006 1:45 AM ET Kuo tries to get Dodgers going vs. Mets Dodgers (74-66) at Mets (87-52), 4:10 p.m. PT By Ken Gurnick / MLB.com Hong-Chih Kuo makes his first Major League start Friday night, seven years and two Tommy John operations after he was signed as a 17-year-old out of Taiwan. Kuo, signed to a $1.25 million bonus, suffered his elbow injury in spectacularly tragic fashion. In his professional debut on April 10, 2000, he struck out seven of the 10 batters he faced, blew out a ligament in his elbow, made two more pitches to end the inning, then underwent surgery. He resumed pitching 14 months later, but problems persisted and he required the procedure again, missing the entire 2003 season. He also underwent another operation to clear scar tissue from the transplanted ligament, a common side effect. He pitched in only three games in 2004, and entered the 2005 season with a total of 40 1/3 innings pitched in five years. Finally healthy, Kuo made up for lost time with a meteoric rise last year that began at Class A Vero Beach and ended with a September callup to the Major Leagues from Double-A. This is his third stint with the big-league club this year. The Dodgers are in need of an effective start, not to mention a long one, from Kuo. He said he made 95 pitches in a start at Las Vegas this year, the first time he'd thrown that many pitches since his amateur days in Taiwan. Pitching matchup LAD: LHP Hong-Chih Kuo (0-4, 5.34) He's back doing what he does best -- starting -- although it's taken the new regime a while to appreciate it. This is quite a comeback story from two Tommy John operations. Despite the procedures, he has an electrifying left arm, and when he's on, he's unhittable, especially for right-handed hitters, which is very unusual for a left-handed rookie. NYM: RHP John Maine (5-3, 3.44) It's hard to ignore that the Mets have won eight consecutive games in which he's started. He's never faced the Dodgers, but he's coming off a solid victory over the Astros, pitching into the seventh inning. Player to watch Shawn Green is 2-for-5 against Kuo. http://0rz.net/9b1Q2 --

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