BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Scouts Are Still High on Salmon

Rookie right fielder Tim Salmon may be scuffling along with most of his teammates in the Angel lineup, but one prominent American League scout predicted Wednesday that Salmon will be a star.

“Let’s put it this way,” said the scout, who requested not to be identified. “I’ve got a friend who owns a card collector’s store. I told him, ‘Buy every rookie card you can find on this kid. If you hang onto those cards, you’re going to be a rich man.

“ ‘I’m telling you right now, he’s going to be that good.’ ”

Salmon is batting .245 with five homers and 17 RBIs, but has not hit a home run in the last 13 games or driven in a run in the last nine.

“He’s been pitched to pretty good,” Angel Manager Buck Rodgers said. “Lately, they’ve been pitching him just about as good as you can pitch someone. But his time will come.”

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The Angels have decided to send Kelly Gruber to Class-A Palm Springs for a week beginning Monday on a rehabilitation assignment. He will remain a week, and on May 24 will join the triple-A Vancouver team until being activated June 5. . . . First baseman J.T. Snow, who had to leave Tuesday’s game because of flu, was too weak to play Wednesday. The Angels are off today, and he’s expected to be back Friday for the three-game series against the Kansas City Royals.