ANGELS : Gruber’s Doctor Bill Mailed to Blue Jays

The Angels, maintaining that the Toronto Blue Jays are responsible for third baseman Kelly Gruber’s rotator-cuff surgery, are now requesting that the Blue Jays pay for the surgery and all hospitalization costs.

The Angels billed the Blue Jays for all expenses that were incurred for the surgery Feb. 16, Dan O’Brien, Angel vice president for baseball operations confirmed Monday.

“It doesn’t mean much unless they pay it,” O’Brien said. “But yes, we have mailed the bill to them.”

Lewis Yocum said the expenses were about $3,000 for his surgical services. He said he originally had billed the Angels.

The medical bill is the latest chapter in the Gruber saga. The Angels previously had requested that the Blue Jays pay Gruber’s salary--about $383 per month--while he remains on the disabled list. Gruber already is on the 60-day emergency list, and will be inactive until at least June 4.

Angel outfielder Jerome Walton vented his anger against the Chicago Cubs on the field Monday with his first three-hit game of the spring, and then, after the Angels’ 10-3 defeat, unleashed a verbal tirade against his former team.

“I hate them . . . ,” Walton said. “I don’t hate those guys, but the organization. . . . them all. They tried to get me out of baseball, telling everybody I had a bad attitude.

“A guy can take only so much. You can push a guy before he pushes back. If you back a cat in a corner, he comes out fighting.

“(Cub Manager Jim) Lefebvre told me that if I wanted him to get me out of the game, he would. That’s why I hate him.”

The Angels, alarmed by reliever Troy Percival’s recent performance, have decided to pull him out of their bullpen until Thursday. He will spend the next few days working with pitching coach Chuck Hernandez.

“We want to work on his delivery,” Manager Buck Rodgers said. “Chuck felt his delivery broke down in the last game, and he wants to show him what adjustments he has to make to prepare himself for when it happens again.”

Percival, considered the Angels’ closer of the future, walked three and hit three more in a third of an inning Saturday against San Diego.

Chuck Finley, who sat out his scheduled start Sunday because of a stiff neck, has a strained left neck muscle and probably will not pitch again until Thursday. . . . The Angels will make their first cuts today, and are expected to send about 10 pitchers to their minor league camp. Tim Fortugno, who was expected to vie for a bullpen job, might be in that group. Fortugno yielded four hits, seven walks and seven earned runs in two-thirds of an inning Monday, and his ERA has ballooned to 27.00. . . . The Angel bullpen has yielded 13 earned runs in the ninth inning of their last two home games, including seven walks and five hit batters.