Angels’ Howie Kendrick avoids disabled list — for now

An MRI exam on Howie Kendrick’s left knee, injured in a collision with right fielder Collin Cowgill on Monday night, revealed a sprain but no significant structural damage. The Angels will give the injury four or five days to heal before deciding whether to place the second baseman on the disabled list.

“He’s sore, and there’s some swelling, but there’s no doubt it could have been a lot worse,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “Hopefully it will be more short-term. We’ll see how it progresses.”

To add infield depth, the Angels called up Grant Green, acquired from Oakland in last week’s Alberto Callaspo trade, and sent reliever Daniel Stange back to triple-A Salt Lake. Green, from USC, will start at second Tuesday night against the Texas Rangers.

The team also announced that reliever Sean Burnett, as expected, will undergo surgery Wednesday to repair a small tear in the flexor tendon near his left elbow.

Burnett, the former Washington setup man who signed a two-year, $8-million deal last winter, was limited by elbow problems to 13 appearances, but he expects to be ready by spring training in February.

“The prognosis is definitely good for next year,” Scioscia said.

Center fielder Peter Bourjos, out since June 30 because of a broken bone in his right wrist, will begin a rehab assignment of four to seven games with Salt Lake on Thursday night.

Bourjos, who was batting .333 when he got hurt, still feels pain and discomfort in the wrist while hitting, “but the doctors say it’s not going to get any worse, so there’s no point in sitting here and not doing anything. I can play as much as I can tolerate the pain.”

Bourjos said surgery to remove the broken bone in the off-season is an option, “but my first goal is to go out and play.”

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