BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Wathan: Gaetti Will Play First Again

Interim Manager John Wathan said he deployed Gary Gaetti as the designated hitter Wednesday instead of at first base because a hand injury kept Luis Polonia from hitting, and not because he was trying to shield Gaetti from adverse crowd reaction to seeing him at first base.

Gaetti was showered with sarcasm Tuesday after two key plays during the Angels’ 9-5 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. Gaetti dropped the ball while trying to tag Joe Carter in a rundown and later was unable to field a grounder by Jeff Kent that scored Carter with the go-ahead run.

“It’s amazing. The guy drops the ball like that and they’re ready to nail him to a cross,” Wathan said. “(On Kent’s double) there’s no way he could have played that. . . . I thought it was very unfair.”

Wathan said he would put Gaetti back at first base at the next opportunity. He couldn’t do it Wednesday, however, because Polonia aggravated his already sore left hand while swinging Tuesday and needed the night off. Gaetti, a four-time Gold Glove winner at third base, has played first base four times this season and nine times in his career.

Jim Abbott, on the disabled list because of a strained rib cage muscle, experienced some soreness Wednesday after having thrown Tuesday. . . . Bryan Harvey (sore right elbow) threw off the mound for six minutes Wednesday without complications. Physical therapist Roger Williams said Harvey’s rapid progress in the last few weeks has been encouraging. . . . Senior Vice President Dan O’Brien said the Angels will have team orthopedist Lewis Yocum re-examine draft pick Pete Janicki in a few weeks to see how Janicki’s arm is healing. Janicki was found to have a healing fracture in his pitching arm. . . . Polonia’s absence broke up a potent one-two combination at the top of the Angels’ lineup. Polonia, the leadoff hitter, and Luis Sojo, who has been hitting second, were a combined 35 for 83 in the 10 games they hit first and second. They had scored 16 runs, driven in 14 and stole four bases. In the five games before Wednesday, they were 22 for 42. . . . Entering Wednesday’s game, the cleanup spot was the weakest in the Angels’ batting order. Cleanup hitters had a combined .190 average and 60 strikeouts.