BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Gruber Is Back to Square One

With Kelly Gruber expected to go on the disabled list again Sunday because of a sore neck and shoulder, the third baseman and Angel Manager Buck Rodgers are back to where they were this spring: Frustrated.

“Kelly got here and announced at his first press conference that he had a bulging disk,” Rodgers said. “The league president said to work things out, but they haven’t been. There’s got to be some retribution sometime.”

Gruber, batting .277 with three homers and nine RBIs in 18 games, aggravated the injuries diving for three grounders in Oakland on Tuesday.

“I have made those plays,” Gruber said. “Those are plays that used to bring me joy, make me happy.”

Although it is certain Gruber will go on the disabled list, the Angels still have not made final roster decisions. Second baseman Damion Easley, sidelined because of shin splints, is eligible to come off of the disabled list on Sunday.

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The Indians made a switch in their pitching rotation, moving former Angel Cliff Young (2-2) to tonight against Hilly Hathaway (1-0) and pushing Jose Mesa (7-5) back to Sunday against Mark Langston (9-2).

“We’ve found Mesa pitches better with five days’ rest than six,” Indian Manager Mike Hargrove said. “Every time we’ve given him six or seven days, he’s not pitched well at all.”

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Texas Ranger outfielder Jose Canseco’s career is in jeopardy after he threw 33 pitches in a game against Boston, but Angel designated hitter Chili Davis said he still hasn’t felt a twinge in his arm after working two innings against Texas on June 17.

“Naw, man, I’m a gamer,” Davis said.

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Cleveland infielder Jeff Treadway was with Atlanta the past two seasons during the Tomahawk Chop protests and is now with an organization that announced on Thursday it will keep its Wahoo mascot.

“Hey, it’s easy to get tagged politically incorrect,” Treadway said. “All you’ve got to do is live your life and you get tagged that way.”

Hargrove said he is glad the Indians are keeping the logo.

“I don’t look at Chief Wahoo and think ‘Native American,’ ” Hargrove said. “I look at it and think, ‘Cleveland Indians.’ ”

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Surgery will probably be scheduled sometime this week for pitcher Julio Valera, who is on the disabled list because of a torn ligament in his elbow. Valera’s wife delivered a baby boy on Thursday. . . . Rodgers moved second baseman Torey Lovullo up to fifth in the batting order. . . . Third baseman Eddie Perez (.299, five homers, 49 RBIs) and pitcher Darryl Scott (4-0, 2.54 ERA, seven saves), both with the Angels’ Vancouver affiliate, have been voted to the triple-A All-Star game on July 14 in Albuquerque.