BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Perez Might Not Need Wrist Surgery

First baseman Eduardo Perez’s ailing left wrist probably will not require surgery, according to Dr. Lewis Yocum, who injected a cortisone shot in an attempt to curb the inflammation.

Perez still believes that he will have to go on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to May 5, but the Angels will wait until Friday before announcing a decision. If they think Perez will be ready to play next week, the Angels are expected to call up utilityman Mark Dalesandro. If it will be longer than a week, first baseman J.T. Snow will join the team.

“I know everybody’s yelling and screaming for J.T. Snow,” Manager Buck Rodgers said, “but we’ve got a guy hitting .370, and I’m not in a real hurry moving Jim Edmonds out of there for anybody.”

Yocum, who previously administered a CAT-scan and MRI on Perez’s hand, has already given two cortisone shots to Perez in the last 10 days. Perez has sat out seven consecutive games, and will be unable to swing a bat until at least Saturday.

“He has worn triangular cartilage in there,” Yocum said, “but we don’t see a sign of significant damage. Who knows, maybe he could play the rest of his life with it. (Former Oakland third baseman) Carney Lansford did it for years.”

If surgery is necessary, Perez will be sidelined six to eight weeks.

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Although reliever Bill Sampen said Tuesday night that he did not want to accept his assignment to Vancouver, General Manager Bill Bavasi said Wednesday that Sampen has no choice.

Sampen still has an option left in his $240,000 contract, and according to the Basic Agreement, he does not have the right to decline the assignment without being suspended.

“I knew it was a strong possibility that he’d accept free agency if he had that right, but he doesn’t,” Bavasi said. “We’re glad because he has a good arm and we want to keep him.”

“That stinks when decisions are made like that,” Sampen said. “I really felt this would be a good opportunity. It’s frustrating as much as anything. It just gets old. The last two years I’ve been looking for the luxury to fail, and I just haven’t had that luxury.”

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Second baseman Kevin Flora, who has not played since the opening week of the season at Vancouver, is scheduled to rejoin the team today. Flora is still trying to recover emotionally from the death of his wife in an automobile accident April 22, 1993. . . . Pitcher John Dopson said the spur in his right shoulder continues to bother him after he throws 50 pitches in a game but said he will try to strengthen the shoulder through exercises before opting for surgery, which would sideline him six to nine months.