Escobar setback hard to evaluate

TUCSON -- The Angels will field a team for Monday night’s season opener at Minnesota. Really.

Hit hard by injuries, that team won’t look much like the one the Angels envisioned. Pitchers John Lackey, Kelvim Escobar, Scot Shields and Chris Bootcheck will open on the disabled list, and there’s a chance outfielder Gary Matthews Jr. could join them.

As if the Angels didn’t have enough problems, there was more disturbing news Tuesday: A week into his throwing program, the second phase of his rehabilitation from a sore shoulder, Escobar has been shut down because of discomfort, a setback that probably will push the right-hander’s return to June.

Though Manager Mike Scioscia downplayed the injury, there has to be some concern that Escobar, who spent two months strengthening the shoulder before even picking up a ball, will be susceptible to similar setbacks throughout the season.

“When you’re activating your arm, sometimes you have little glitches,” Scioscia said. “He started to throw, felt a little discomfort, and now he’s trying to get some of the inflammation out of there. It’s nothing unusual in a rehab scenario to have to take a step back.”

Escobar, an 18-game winner last season, had barely taken a step forward. He played catch at 45 feet only a few times before re-injuring the shoulder.

The Angels were hoping Escobar would return in early May, but Scioscia acknowledged this setback could change that window.

“It’s still baby steps,” Scioscia said, “so it’s tough to evaluate when he’ll be able to start pushing things.”

Twist of fate

Matthews remains questionable for the opener because of a sprained right ankle, a fluke injury he suffered while slowing down on the basepaths Monday.

“It depends on how I respond to treatment,” Matthews said. “Only time will tell.”

Scioscia said the sprain “is not as bad” as the one that sidelined Matthews for 10 games last September. Matthews played all of 2007 with a sore left shoulder and the second half with a sore right knee but was “not concerned” about the ankle becoming a nagging injury.

“It’s just something that happened,” he said. “It’s sore, but I’ll have to play through it.”

Left behind

Scioscia confirmed that Shields, who has an inflamed forearm, will go on the DL.

An MRI test Monday revealed no abnormalities and no ligament damage, but Scioscia said the setup man, who could resume throwing today, will remain in Arizona for extended spring training when the Angels break camp Thursday.

“He’ll need to pitch and to work out some things, and he can do that better in camp games,” Scioscia said. “If we back-date a DL stint, he’d only miss the first six or seven games. It’s worth the price to pay short term, rather than risk a month or two of the season because he’s doing something he’s not ready for.”

Around the horn

Nick Adenhart’s chances of winning the fifth rotation spot took a hit Tuesday when the 21-year-old right-hander was rocked for seven runs and nine hits in four innings in a 9-8 win over Arizona. Casey Kotchman and Terry Evans hit two-run homers for the Angels. . . . Third baseman Chone Figgins sat out Tuesday’s game because of cramping in his left hand, but he is expected to play against the Dodgers on Thursday night at Angel Stadium.

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mike.digiovanna@latimes.com