Wood Struggling With Angels’ Double-A Team

In a season in which so many of the Angels’ prospects have struggled in the major leagues, perhaps the club’s most touted prospect is struggling in double A.

Shortstop Brandon Wood, who led the minor leagues by hitting 43 home runs last season, all at Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, is off to a .248 start at Arkansas. He leads the Travelers with eight home runs, but has struck out 54 times, or once every three at-bats.

At 21, Wood is one of the youngest players in double A. General Manager Bill Stoneman said the Angels were not counting on Wood before 2008 and are not discouraged by his learning curve.

“He’s fine,” Stoneman said. “This isn’t a guy we were projecting on the major league club next season. If that happens, great. But from a realistic standpoint, everybody goes through growing pains and everybody has to learn how to adjust. And this guy is younger than most.”

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Give J.D. Drew a break? A cynic would say he’s getting plenty already.

Yet the Dodgers haven’t suffered from giving their power-hitting right fielder six games off in the first 44. They won five of the six, with the substitute right fielders batting .350 with nine runs batted in and seven walks.

Drew hasn’t requested any time off. Dodgers Manager Grady Little is providing it on his own, recognizing when Drew can use a breather by “observing his body language and looking into his eyes.”

Injuries have dogged Drew his entire career, but he has stayed healthy under Little’s benevolent direction. He has been productive too, leading the Dodgers with eight home runs and 31 RBIs. His batting average is .293.

He got three days off last week, but the rest didn’t provide any short-term benefits -- Drew was 0 for 4 and struck out three times Sunday. “It’s a long-range plan to keep him fresh and productive all season,” Little said.

Drew has gotten time off even while the Dodgers have gone with only four outfielders since Jason Repko went on the disabled list May 10. A big reason the Dodgers are strongly considering bringing up top prospect Matt Kemp from double A is to continue giving Drew and 38-year-old center fielder Kenny Lofton occasional breaks.

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After playing without a left-handed reliever for most of the previous two years, the Angels picked up J.C. Romero from the Minnesota Twins last winter. Romero, a workhorse in the Minnesota bullpen since 2002, had an earned-run average of 3.47 last season and 3.48 as a major league reliever.

His ERA is 8.47 this season and 14.09 this month. In what he calls the worst stretch of his career, he has pitched 7 2/3 innings this month and given up 18 hits. In two appearances against the Dodgers, he faced 12 batters and retired three.

“Physically, I’m fine,” he said. “I just feel like I don’t deserve to be here. It’s embarrassing.”

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Andre Ethier’s wife and parents drove home to Phoenix on Sunday, but they might as well have been floating. In three days, they saw him get seven hits in 13 at-bats with two home runs and six RBIs against the Angels.

Ethier’s batting average jumped from .222 to .306. The rookie outfielder had five hits Friday, a single on Saturday and a three-run home run Sunday.

“It’s unbelievable to share the experience of being in the big leagues with my family,” he said. “For them to be there with me this weekend, after all they’ve done for me throughout my life, was special.”

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Dodgers first baseman Nomar Garciaparra will get a day off today.

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First baseman Kendry Morales, who doubled twice and singled for triple-A Salt Lake on Sunday, could join the Angels soon. Morales is hitting .318 overall and .489 in his last 11 games, with 14 RBIs. ... The Angels have a payroll of $104 million, trailing only the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. The four teams with a worse record than the Angels: Washington ($63 million), Kansas City ($47 million), Pittsburgh ($47 million) and Florida ($15 million). ... Vladimir Guerrero got the day off. ... Manager Mike Scioscia said infielder Maicer Izturis (left hamstring) could start a minor league rehabilitation assignment in seven to 10 days and outfielder Darin Erstad (right ankle) could follow soon thereafter.