BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Rodgers’ Bullpen Is Untitled

Manager Buck Rodgers is reluctant to place titles such as “closer” on a specific member of his bullpen staff, but with Joe Grahe on the disabled list, there is an opening for the job. Asked if Gene Nelson, who has given up only 14 hits in 21 2/3 innings, might assume the closer’s role, Rodgers said:

“What’s that old saying? Necessity is the mother of invention. Here we are in mid-June and we don’t have any roles in the bullpen because we’ve had to mess around with it so much. We still haven’t got the thing solved. We’ve been ham-and-egging it.”

He likes what he has seen from Nelson, who has two saves and a 1.66 earned-run average, but stopped short of saying the veteran right-hander is his closer of the moment.

“One of his strengths is his versatility,” Rodgers said. “I don’t like to put titles on people until I’m convinced the spot is there. Really, titles can become counterproductive.”

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Third baseman Kelly Gruber jarred his left shoulder diving for a ground ball Monday and was replaced by Torey Lovullo Tuesday. Gruber is listed as day to day. Rodgers said Rene Gonzales’ sore thumb is better, but he decided to play Lovullo instead. . . . Ron Tingley’s double in the eighth inning Monday was his fourth of the season, tying him with John Orton. Tingley has started six games behind the plate, Orton 27. . . . Going into Tuesday’s game, Chili Davis was hitting .321 (18 for 56) with two home runs and 22 RBIs with runners in scoring position. Davis was batting .193 without runners in scoring position.