BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : Wallach Return Is Put on Hold

Tim Wallach’s return from the disabled list was delayed until at least early next week after an X-ray taken Friday revealed that the broken rib he suffered July 17 has not completely healed.

Wallach, a 13-year veteran, has not enjoyed his first trip to the disabled list.

“It’s been a frustrating three weeks,” he said. “Mentally, I’m definitely ready to get back out there.”

Wallach took batting practice and fielded ground balls before Friday’s game and pronounced himself fit.

“It doesn’t hurt,” he said of the rib, broken when Wallach was struck by a pitch from Ken Hill of the Montreal Expos. “But they want to make sure.”

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Reliever Omar Daal suffered a gash on his collarbone while playing catch with knuckleballer Tom Candiotti before Friday’s game.

Daal’s injury is not serious. “I caught about 15 or 20 of them,” Daal boasted. “Then one had too much movement and, boom.”

Daal said the pitch glanced off his glove and struck a chain around his neck.

“No more,” Daal said of his encounter with the knuckleball. “Not today.”

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Jim Gott, the team’s save leader with 20, skipped Friday’s game to be with his wife, Cathy, who gave birth to a boy, Daniel Aaron, at 6:45 p.m. . . . Red shortstop Barry Larkin sat out his second consecutive start because of the sprained left thumb that has bothered him all season.