Anderson’s Pain Is Sign to Sit a Bit

Brian Anderson felt something “tweak” in his left arm the moment he released the ball for his final warmup toss before the fifth inning Friday.

He managed to hold together for a few pitches in the fifth, but Anderson knew the pain was a signal to quit.

“I said, ‘I better get out of here before I do some damage,’ ” Anderson said after the Angels’ 10-0 victory over Seattle at Anaheim Stadium.

The diagnosis by Craig Milhouse was a strained left bicep, not considered a serious injury but it came almost one year to the day after Anderson broke his left thumb trying to field a grounder off the bat of Oakland’s Geronimo Berroa last May 6.

Anderson was sidelined until June 6 and went on to finish his rookie season with a 7-5 record and 5.22 earned-run average.

“They told me it was a mild strain,” Anderson said of Friday’s injury. “They’ll be able to tell more in the next couple of days. I think I opened up too much on my last warmup pitch. I had done the same thing in my freshman year in college (at Wright State). I think I missed about nine days.”

The Angels are hopeful Anderson will not miss his next start.

“That’s a good possibility,” Manager Marcel Lachemann said. “It doesn’t look real serious.”

Temperature at the start of the game was 63 degrees, and it certainly didn’t get any warmer as the night progressed. But neither Anderson nor Lachemann thought the chilly weather had anything to do with the injury.

A crowd of 30,230, some bundled under blankets, watched Anderson breeze through four innings almost untouched. Three double plays behind him certainly didn’t hurt his chances at what seemed like a promising performance.

The Angels built a 2-0 lead by the time Anderson walked to the mound to face Mike Blowers to open the fifth.

Anderson’s first two pitches were strikes but after the third missed for a ball, he backed away from the mound. He appeared more concerned than in pain.

“Oh yeah, it was scary,” he said.

And just like that he was through for the night, replaced by Bob Patterson. Troy Percival, Mike Butcher and Mitch Williams followed Patterson, who picked up his first victory in four appearances.

Anderson was left with his second no-decision. He gave up six hits and three runs in his first start, in a 5-3 Angel victory at Toronto on Sunday.

Friday, he gave every indication he was on his way to a more impressive outing.