Anderson a victim of need for pitchers

The Dodgers have activated right-handed Chin-hui Tsao from the disabled list and to make room for him on the roster have designated outfielder Marlon Anderson for assignment.

With right-hander Jason Schmidt out for the season following shoulder surgery, the club had been using 11 pitchers.

“We needed to go to 12 pitchers,” Manager Grady Little said, “and to do that, we needed to take away a hitter.”

Tsao, who had not appeared in more than 10 games in any of his three previous major league seasons, all with the Colorado Rockies, had already appeared in 15 games this season for the Dodgers before going on the disabled list May 20 because of a strained right shoulder. He is 0-1 with a 3.00 earned-run average.

Anderson, a 10-year big league veteran at 33, was hitting .231 with no home runs and two runs batted in in 26 at-bats.

“It was tough to get him at-bats,” Little said, “so this was the logical move.”

Anderson, obtained by the Dodgers from the Washington Nationals for the stretch run last season, batted .375 with seven home runs and 15 RBIs in 25 games. He will be best remembered for hitting the last of four consecutive home runs in a September game against the San Diego Padres.

The Dodgers have 10 days to trade or release Anderson, who was making $925,000 this season.

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Milton Bradley could again cause the Dodgers headaches, this time as a divisional rival.

Bradley was acquired by the Padres from the Oakland Athletics for minor league pitcher Andrew Brown and cash. The A’s, who designated Bradley for assignment last week, reportedly will pay approximately $1.36 million of the $2.05 million he is owed for the rest of the season.

Bradley was expected to report to the Padres on Sunday at Dodger Stadium, which the temperamental outfielder called home in 2004 and 2005. Involved in several controversial incidents, Bradley was traded to Oakland before the 2006 season.

Bradley, a career .271 hitter, probably will be the Padres’ everyday left fielder.

“If he keeps his head straight, he can be a great player,” Dodgers pitcher Brad Penny said. “He’s got the talent. I just don’t know if he can keep it together. When he was on this team, I thought he could be a superstar, but he has to prove it.”

Padres outfielder Hiram Bocachica, who was Bradley’s teammate in Oakland, provided a similar assessment.

“He’s not a bad person, but he has moments when he loses his head,” Bocachica said.

Padres General Manager Kevin Towers and Manager Bud Black tried to downplay the controversy in Bradley’s past.

“This guy is 29 years old,” Black said. “He’s been around the block. He knows by now what’s expected of him.”

Bradley has been on the disabled list three times this season and Oakland’s recent attempt to deal him to Kansas City failed because of a strained oblique.

Towers categorized Bradley as “doubtful” for Sunday’s game.

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steve.springer@latimes.com

dylan.hernandez@latimes.com