Eric Gagne has a torn ligament in his pitching elbow, and the Dodgers are bracing themselves for the possibility that their All-Star closer could require surgery that could end his season and jeopardize his chance to return next year. Gagne complained of a burning sensation in the elbow after pitching on Sunday, and an MRI examination in Kansas City on Monday revealed the tear. Dr. Frank Jobe is scheduled to review the MRI results today in Los Angeles and determine whether to recommend surgery. "Right now, we're hoping for the best," Gagne said. "That's all we can do." The Dodgers listed the injury as a second-degree sprain ? by definition, a partial tear ? of the ulnar collateral ligament. "There's a tear in it," athletic trainer Stan Johnston said. "How big it is has yet to be determined." A second-degree sprain is more severe than a first-degree sprain. Gagne sat out the first six weeks of the season because of what Johnston said was a first-degree sprain in the elbow. This time, Gagne said, he felt "not like a pop, but a warm sensation in the arm." He added: "It felt like the exact same thing, but not as good." Later, he said, "You feel good one day, and the next day you can blow it out. You never know." In case of surgery, the standard repair is the so-called Tommy John procedure, which generally requires 12 to 18 months of rehabilitation. Gagne had that operation in the minor leagues and sat out the 1997 season.