ANGELS : Is Ailing Arm Cause of Finley Spring Woe?

The spring struggles of Angel pitcher Chuck Finley have been attributed by Manager Doug Rader to tenderness in Finley’s left biceps.

Rader on Friday likened Finley’s ailment to a tired arm and said the left-hander had no structural damage. However, Rader said he and his coaches will “sit down and work out every possible scenario,” including the chance that Finley might miss his scheduled opening-day start April 9 at Seattle.

Finley, who won 18 games and had an earned-run average of 2.40 last season, has an ERA of 9.90 this spring. He gave up two home runs to Albert Belle and five walks and six runs in six innings Friday as the Angels lost an exhibition game to the Cleveland Indians, 8-7.

Finley, 28, didn’t discuss his ailment, but Rader disclosed it as an explanation for Finley’s spring woes.

“Generally, you can pitch your way through it, but it hurts his extension and delivery. It’s 95% of his problem,” Rader said. “We might have to alter his workout schedule. . . . It’s no big deal, but it has had an effect on his consistency.”

Finley, who has had three six-run debacles in five appearances, was disgusted with his performance, but he plans to forget as much of this spring as quickly as possible.

“The whole thing has been (messed) up the whole spring,” Finley said of his inability to find the form of last season. “It comes and goes. I start off 2-and-0 on everybody instead of 0-and-1. It gets me into a situation where I’ve got to throw a strike, and when I did today, they hammered it. Spring training or otherwise, you’re not going to be an effective pitcher that way.

“I know what it takes to win. I’ve had side days (throwing in the bullpen) where I’ve thrown great, but when you get in a game with somebody up there, it’s different. I can analyze it and say it’s the walks. I wasn’t getting my fastball over or my curveball. But I know I can get all those pitches over. I’ve just got to throw more strikes, that’s it.”

Every indication this spring has pointed to Scott Lewis beating out Joe Grahe in their competition for the fifth starting berth, but Rader might keep both rookie right-handers, using Lewis as a starter and Grahe in long relief.

“In the event we did keep Joe Grahe, it would be a commitment to him as a long man and not as a starter for the time being,” Rader said. “And if he does (go to) the bullpen, that doesn’t mean that somewhere down the road he won’t be a starter.”

Grahe pitched the final two innings of Friday’s game, hitting the first two batters he faced and giving up a run. He pitched two hitless innings under an agreement the Angels and Indians worked out to give the pitchers extra work.

Grahe said he would prefer pitching out of the Angels’ bullpen to starting for triple-A Edmonton. “Judge by the difference in the paychecks,” said Grahe, who signed a split contract for $105,000 in the major leagues and $37,000 in the minors.

Grahe’s ERA is 3.21 in 14 official innings, compared with Lewis’ 5.09 in 17 2/3 innings.

Angel Notes

Left-hander Bob McClure, who has had problems with his pitching shoulder, threw five minutes of long toss and 12 minutes from the mound Friday. However, he hasn’t yet thrown any breaking balls, and no timetable has been set for his return. Because of McClure’s and Bert Blyleven’s infirmities, Rader said he’s now leaning toward keeping 11 pitchers instead of 10. . . . The Angels have 35 players in camp, including 17 pitchers, and Rader plans to make a cut before the club leaves Palm Springs Wednesday.

Scott Bailes pitched in the extra innings and again allowed no runs. . . . Mike Fetters, however, was hit hard, and his chances of winning a bullpen spot may be dwindling. . . . Wally Joyner hit a three-run home run in the ninth off reliever Doug Jones, Joyner’s first homer of the spring.