BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Abbott Goes on Disabled List

Jim Abbott was put on the 15-day disabled list for the first time in his four-year career.

“I don’t want to go on the DL,” said Abbott, who strained a muscle in his right rib cage Saturday. “It’s hard to give up your spot in the rotation. Really hard. I don’t want to do it.”

Abbott said he believed the injury had been improving, and he was hoping not to miss his next start. When he was not cleared to throw off the mound Friday, he knew his start Monday against the Toronto Blue Jays was out of the question. But by being put on the DL retroactive to July 12, he will miss at least two starts.

“This hasn’t been the easiest of seasons to get through, but there are some things that you just can’t control,” said Abbott, who is 4-11 despite a 2.96 earned-run average that is the American League’s seventh best. “The thing I take pride in is taking the ball every five days, and being unable to do that is extremely frustrating.”

Abbott’s spot on the roster will be filled by Tim Fortugno, 30, a left-hander from Huntington Beach who will make his major league debut Monday.

Fortugno has struggled with wildness most of his career. He was 6-4 with a 3.56 ERA at triple-A Edmonton, but 5-1 with a 2.86 ERA with 42 strikeouts in the seven consecutive games he has started.

Reliever Mike Butcher was a teammate of Fortugno’s in Edmonton until he was called up July 4. Butcher concurred with the Angel assessment of Fortugno having better control as a starter.

“I’d seen him pitch in Mexico, too, and he was more effective as a starter than a reliever there, too,” Butcher said. “One thing, though, he was still throwing out of a stretch instead of throwing out of a windup, at least when I saw him starting.”

Reliever Bryan Harvey, on the disabled list since July 1 because of a sore elbow, has been given clearance to begin throwing Sunday. . . . Hubie Brooks, who has been on the disabled list since June 20 because of a strained neck, is making “real slow,” progress, interim Manager John Wathan said.