BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Pitcher Nielsen to Be Recalled

The three players acquired from the New York Yankees for pitcher Jim Abbott last December will all be playing for the Angels soon.

The club is expected to recall left-handed reliever Jerry Nielsen from triple-A Vancouver today to replace reliever Joe Grahe, who has a sore right shoulder and will be put on the disabled list.

For the first time since spring training, the Angels will have first baseman J.T. Snow, reliever Russ Springer and Nielsen playing for the big league club. Snow has been with the team all season, and Springer was recalled last week.

Nielsen was 2-2 with a 5.02 earned-run average at Vancouver, yielding 36 hits in 28 2/3 innings, but the Angels say he has pitched much better the last couple of weeks.

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Infielder Gary Gaetti, released last week by the Angels, will soon sign a contract with the Kansas City Royals, according to Royal General Manager Herk Robinson.

The Royals, desperate for infield help, said they might use Gaetti as the everyday third baseman. Utility infielder Keith Miller had surgery on his left thumb Wednesday and is expected to be out eight weeks, and third baseman Phil Hiatt is batting only .229.

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Angel infielder Rene Gonzales, distressed since the Christmas holidays after learning that his mother had stomach cancer, was happy to report Wednesday that his mother’s chemotherapy treatments are over.

“Hopefully, she’ll be just fine now, and that they got all of it,” Gonzales said. “I can’t wait to see her coming to the games again. That’s going to be special.”

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The Angels have signed eight of their draft picks, including three of their top 10 selections: left-handed high school pitcher Matthew Perisho, third round; right-handed pitcher Geoff Edsell of Old Dominion, sixth round, and third baseman Jamie Burke of Oregon State, ninth round. They also signed seven amateur free agents, four of whom they drafted last year.