Advertisement

Pitchers are getting in swing of things

Share
Times Staff Writer

Although Monday’s contest with the New York Mets was the seventh interleague game the Angels have played this season, all seven have come in Anaheim, meaning no Angels pitcher has batted this season.

And some haven’t batted in several seasons.

That will change this weekend when the Angels begin a nine-game trip that will take them to Philadelphia, Washington and Dodger Stadium, where the designated hitter won’t be used. So to prepare, the team’s pitchers began taking daily batting practice last week.

“The last time I swung a wood bat?” said 25-year-old reliever Darren O’Day, who took his cuts Monday. “I was 18.”

Advertisement

It didn’t take him long to get back in the groove, lining a batting practice shot off the center-field wall Monday.

“I put a charge in one,” he said with a grin.

But while O’Day may be looking forward to showing what he can do in a game, Manager Mike Scioscia said his goals for his pitchers were much more modest.

“Keeping them healthy,” he said, referencing the baserunning injury that could keep the New York Yankees’ Chien-Ming Wang sidelined until September.

“The first thing is just getting them swings so they’re comfortable with a swing and aren’t going to pop an oblique. If we get the sacrifices down, [great].”

Star search

Although the Angels began Monday’s game with the second-best record in the American League, outfielder Vladimir Guerrero is the only player on their roster among the top four vote-getters at his position for the July 15 All-Star game.

Guerrero, who has slightly more than 750,000 votes, ranks behind Boston’s Manny Ramirez, Texas’ Josh Hamilton and Seattle’s Ichiro Suzuki for a starting spot in the AL outfield.

Advertisement

Currently, seven of the nine starters, according to the fan balloting, are from Boston or New York.

Voting concludes July 2.

Name game

The Angels might not find out until December whether the courts will let them keep Los Angeles in their name.

The Angels and the city of Anaheim had been scheduled to return to court Friday for the latest and perhaps last round in the city’s challenge to the team’s 2005 name change. However, the hearing has been postponed until Sept. 11.

The state appellate court did not provide a reason for the delay, although neither the Angels nor the city requested it. The court’s website said the judges requested the delay “for good cause.”

After a hearing, the court has 90 days in which to issue a ruling. If the hearing takes place Sept. 11, the court would have to rule by Dec. 10.

Injury report

Infielder Erick Aybar made his second rehab start for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, getting a single and a double, stealing a base and driving in two runs in his first two at-bats. Scioscia said Aybar’s dislocated right pinkie has healed well enough that, in an emergency, he could play in a major league game. . . . Right-hander Kelvim Escobar will continue his comeback from a torn muscle in his shoulder when he throws another bullpen session tonight. Escobar, who participated in fielding practice Monday, could throw as many as 30 pitches to hitters if he feels up to it.

Advertisement

--

Times staff writer Bill Shaikin contributed to this report.

--

kevin.baxter@latimes.com

Advertisement