Angels : Minton to Have Elbow Examined

The Angels’ Greg Minton will skip his regularly scheduled pitching stint against the Cleveland Indians today to bring one aching right elbow to Inglewood’s Centinela Hospital Medical Center.

There, Minton will undergo examination by Dr. Lewis Yocum, the team’s physician, to determine the source of elbow tightness that has continued to bother him since his two-inning outing last Saturday against San Diego at Yuma, Ariz.

“There started to be an increase in pain, so we decided to bring him in,” Yocum said. “We’ll run some tests to try and diagnose the problem--whether it’s the muscle, bone, ligament or tendon.

“This sounds more muscular in nature, but I don’t want to take a chance with it.”

Minton, 36, tried to downplay the significance of today’s tests.

“This is something I’ve had the last two or three years in spring training,” Minton said. “It’s something that happens with age. I’m not overly concerned about it.”

The Angels, however, must be. Yocum was already scheduled to fly to Mesa Monday to examine several players, Minton among them, but for a different reason. Minton has a history of knee problems--he had cartilage removed from his left knee in 1979--and Yocum wanted to get together for a spring checkup.

Yocum will still travel to Mesa Monday, but the Angels, not wanting to waste four days, are flying Minton back to Inglewood to have his arm inspected today.

“The knee (problem) is something he’s had for a long time,” Yocum said. “Because of the wear and tear from Greg running to stay in shape, I just wanted to re-evaluate it again.

“But the knee is not as much a concern as the elbow. The elbow’s the main thing. So, we’ll have him come in, run tests on both and see what we can put together.”

Wally Joyner had just made a diving stop of a sharp grounder off the bat of the Chicago Cubs’ Rafael Palmeiro, turning a potential run-scoring single into an inning-ending out Wednesday afternoon.

Just then, Chicago broadcaster Harry Caray stood up in the Ho Ho Kam Park press box and called over to Angel General Manager Mike Port: “Hey, Port, the price just went up.”

With Port yet to file a contract renewal with the league office, Joyner remains officially unsigned. And to Joyner, who has been waiting for the word for more than a week, that is no laughing matter.

“I don’t know why they’re waiting around,” Joyner said. “I see Mike every day, we say hello, and that’s it. He says he’s allowing more time (for negotiations) for some people because of communication problems, but we’re not communicating at all. He hasn’t given me a (new) figure to think about at all.”

Apparently Port has been devoting his time to Devon White, the Angels’ other candidate for renewal, because Wednesday night, White’s agent spoke optimistically of “getting something done” before Thursday’s contract deadline.

“There has started to be some movement,” said Sam Schriber, White’s Philadelphia-based representative. “My gut feeling is that, with a couple more phone calls, we should be close to something.

“If a renewal can be avoided, it will be best for all of us. Last week, everything kind of broke down between us and Mike Port. But the last couple of days, he’s definitely been more cooperative.”

It’s believed that Port is now considering putting an incentives package together for White, which he had opposed in earlier discussions with Schriber. Schriber would also like Port to increase the Angels’ last salary offer of $170,000.

Meanwhile, Joyner and the Angels remain separated by $55,000--Joyner wants $395,000, and the Angels have offered $340,000--and Joyner holds out little hope of avoiding a renewal.

He says he only wants to be told as much, and not left “in limbo.”

Said Joyner: “In all these games we’ve been playing, ‘every time someone gets to first base, he asks me, ‘Have you signed yet?’ Today, Vance Law comes up to me and says, ‘Everything out of the way?’ All I can say is, ‘I don’t know.’

“I have no idea what’s happening. Neither does Barry (Axelrod, Joyner’s agent). He’s baffled. And I’m baffled.”

Angel Notes

The Angels lost to the Chicago Cubs, 1-0, Wednesday, marking the second time they have been shut out in four games. The Angels are 3-3 this spring. . . . Kirk McCaskill started for the Angels and pitched three scoreless innings, yielding four hits and walking none. He also struck out one and reported no stiffness in his right elbow. “I feel like George Bush,” he said with a grin. “I thought my stuff was better than what I had in Yuma (last Saturday) and I was throwing a little bit harder. I feel strong.” . . . Donnie Moore was the losing pitcher, surrendering the game’s only run while allowing four hits in two innings. “The arm is there,” Moore reported afterward. “It’s fun to go out there and pitch when you’ve got no pain.” . . . The Angel offense managed seven hits, three of them by catcher Butch Wynegar. After sitting out Tuesday’s game because of a re-aggravated toe injury, Wynegar went 2 for 2 against Cub starter Rick Sutcliffe and lined another single against Jay Baller. Devon White had the Angels’ only extra-base hit, a third-inning double. White’s hit also ended the inning, when Jack Howell ran through third base coach Moose Stubing’s stop sign and was thrown out at the plate.