BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : The Heart of the Team Is Nearly Broken

If there was one source of team pride as the season began, it was the infield. Now, with five weeks left in the season, shortstop Gary DiSarcina is home in Anaheim, awaiting season-ending thumb surgery on Tuesday. Second baseman Damion Easley is home recovering from season-ending surgery on his right shin. The last anyone heard from third baseman Kelly Gruber, he was home in Austin, Tex., his career in jeopardy because of ruptured disks in his neck. And first baseman J.T. Snow recently returned from a month-long stint at triple-A Vancouver.

“Can you believe it,” DiSarcina said Friday, “it’s been a cursed infield all year. I thought I was at least bringing stability out there, with everything going on, and now I can’t even do that.

“You work so hard to have a job, finally get it, and then to have it all end because of one pitch is awfully hard to take.”

DiSarcina’s thumb was broken Sunday when he was hit by a pitch from Baltimore’s Ben McDonald. DiSarcina played another inning after the injury, which he now says “was the stupidest thing I’ve done in my life.”

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The Angels removed first baseman Ty Van Burkleo from their 40-man roster to make room for catcher Chris Turner, and designated Van Burkleo for assignment, possibly ending his Angel career.

“I don’t know if he’ll back with us in the spring,” Angel Manager Buck Rodgers said. “It’s pretty difficult for a guy who can play just first base. He’s going to have to show us more than he has, so I would say it would be pretty difficult for him.” . . . Mike Glorioso, the Angels’ right field bat boy, suffered partial paralysis Thursday night while playing baseball at Mission Viejo, and will undergo surgery Tuesday to have a pin placed in his neck. . . . Pitcher Chuck Finley on DiSarcina’s season-ending injury: “Hell, with the way we’ve been playing lately, it might be a blessing for him.”