Los Angeles @ Milwaukee preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 25, 2010 ) LA Dodgers 5, Milwaukee 4

Manny Ramirez has started to pick it back up again, but he may still be on his way out of Los Angeles.

Ramirez will be looking to spur the Dodgers to one last series sweep when they close out a three-game set against the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday.

With the waiver period set to expire on Tuesday, teams are looking for one last chance to sneak players through waivers either to dump salary or improve their clubs via trade. Los Angeles most likely falls into the former category, though finding a taker for the more than $4 million still owed to Ramirez for the rest of this season could be a tall task.

Once one of the most feared sluggers in the game, Ramirez’s reputation has taken a hit over the past two seasons due to a 50-game drug suspension in 2009 and a few stints on the disabled list in 2010. At 38 years old, no one knows quite how much the All-Star has left in the tank physically, though it’s clear he can still hit when put in the lineup.

He was at the top of his game in Tuesday’s 5-4 victory, going 2-for-2 with a run scored, an RBI double and a pair of walks to lead the Dodgers. That boosted his average for the season to a stout .313 and ticked his on-base percentage up above .400 and his slugging mark over .500.

Those are the kinds of numbers that would make Ramirez look great as a designated hitter in the American League, and the Chicago White Sox are rumored to be among the most interested in his services if a deal can be reached.

The Brewers will attempt to slow Ramirez and the Dodgers with ace Yovani Gallardo in the finale. The 24-year-old right-hander has been cuffed around recently and is coming off an outing in which he surrendered six runs on six hits while walking five in 3 1/3 innings against the Padres. Gallardo has posted a 7.20 ERA and a .317 batting average against over his last five starts.

He has only faced Los Angeles twice in his career but was knocked around both times, allowing a total of 14 runs and 16 hits in 10 1/3 innings while walking six. Ramirez is 3-for-5 with a home run and a double off Gallardo while Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier are a combined 4-for-12.

The Dodgers will counter with converted reliever Carlos Monasterios. The 24-year-old Venezuelan rookie has bounced around from the bullpen to the rotation to the minors to the bullpen and finally back into a starting spot for Joe Torre’s club, making his return appearance in the rotation last week against Cincinnati. Monasterios only went 4 1/3 innings in that outing, allowing one earned run and eight hits while striking out six to suffer a loss.

He made one relief appearance against Milwaukee earlier this season, yielding a run on three hits in two innings back on May 4.