BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Anderson Put on Disabled List

Pitcher Brian Anderson threw Tuesday for the first time since suffering a strained left bicep Friday and experienced so much discomfort the Angels put him on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Saturday.

“I didn’t want to go on the DL, but at least I don’t have to worry about rushing to get back,” Anderson said. “They’re being real cautious.”

The Angels recalled right-handed reliever Ken Edenfield from triple-A Vancouver to replace Anderson on the roster. Manager Marcel Lachemann will insert reliever Russ Springer into Anderson’s spot in the rotation beginning Thursday against the Texas Rangers.

Springer has struggled in five relief appearances, yielding three home runs and seven earned runs in four innings (15.75 ERA), but Lachemann thinks the right-hander might be more comfortable in a starting role.

“That’s one of the thoughts we considered,” Lachemann said. “You come in from the bullpen and every mistake is magnified; there’s no margin for error. But if you start and give up two or three runs, then pitch six more (scoreless) innings, everyone says you pitched great. You give up two or three in relief and it’s not a good outing.”

*

Rosters must be trimmed from 28 to 25 by Monday, and unless outfielder Garret Anderson starts getting more at-bats, he probably will be one of those optioned to Vancouver.

Anderson, who has dominated triple-A pitching for two years, says he has learned more in two weeks on a major league bench than he would have playing in Vancouver, but through Sunday he had started only once, appeared in four games and had no hits in five at-bats.

*

The Angels claimed left-handed pitcher Ben VanRyn from waivers and optioned him to triple-A Vancouver, making room for him there by designating left-hander Mark Holzemer for assignment. VanRyn, a former Dodger minor leaguer, was 0-1 with a 9.24 ERA at double-A Chattanooga (Reds) in 1994.