Magrane to Have Surgery : Angels: Arthroscopy on left elbow today will sideline No. 3 starter at least two months.

In news that resurrected painful memories of Kelly Gruber’s injury, Angel pitcher Joe Magrane will undergo arthroscopic surgery today on his left elbow. He is expected to be sidelined at least two months.

Just as traumatic as knowing that their No. 3 starter will be lost until mid-April, is the ridicule the Angels anticipate from their peers. They created a furor in September when Whitey Herzog, then the general manager, gave Magrane a contract that guaranteed $3 million over two years, and was worth a potential $13.3 million over four years.

This was the same pitcher who missed all but five games during the 1991 and 1992 seasons while recovering from reconstructive elbow surgery, and was released last August by the Cardinals. Yet, Magrane was 3-2 with a 3.94 earned-run average with the Angels, and became their first free agent since Jerry Reuss in 1987 to sign a contract during the season.

“I’m embarrassed about the whole situation,” Magrane said, “because I honestly felt we were negotiating in good faith at the end of the season. I feel I’ve let a lot of people down.”

Magrane began working out after the holidays and experienced some discomfort in January. He visited Dr. Lewis Yocum last week, and was given a cortisone shot. There was no improvement when he was examined again Monday, and Magrane opted for surgery, which is scheduled at Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood.

“Every time you have surgery you’re concerned,” Magrane said, “but . . . it’s a lot smarter to have this done now than later and miss a large part of the season. It isn’t like there’s any huge bone chips or spurs in there, it just needs cleaning out.”

Said Angel General Manager Bill Bavasi: “I don’t like to panic unless given reason to panic. But am I concerned? Sure. What we expect is something minor, but that’s not to say they can’t find something else.”

The Angels tentatively plan to move Phil Leftwich into the No. 3 spot in the rotation, and leave John Dopson, John Farrell, Russ Springer, Shawn Hillegas and Hilly Hathaway vying for the final two jobs.

“When you sign a guy for three years and can’t get to the first tee,” Angel Manager Buck Rodgers said, “certainly, it’s disappointing. He was going to be our No. 3 starter, and certainly be in the rotation. Now we have a whole new situation.”