BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Give Him a Glove, Point Him to Field

One of the reasons the Angels traded for Tony Phillips was his versatility. Certainly, center fielder Chad Curtis, who was dealt to Detroit for Phillips on April 13, couldn’t be counted on to play the infield.

Tuesday, Phillips made his Angel debut at third base after playing 40 games in left field. The switch was made to give rookie Garret Anderson a chance to start in the outfield.

The Angels didn’t seem to miss a beat, although Manager Marcel Lachemann said the move will be evaluated daily. He has no concerns about Phillips’ ability to field the position, however.

Phillips played third, second and all three outfield positions for the Tigers last season.

“He’ll catch most everything hit at him,” Lachemann said. “He’s not your classic power-armed third baseman. He’ll be scrappy, diving for everything.”

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Angel designated hitter Chili Davis has seen Minnesota at its best, as a member of the Twins’ 1991 World Series championship team, and now, it appears, at its worst.

“It’s a rebuilding process for them,” Davis said of the last-place Twins, who are 21 games behind AL Central-leading Cleveland. “Guys like Puck [Kirby Puckett], if they’re healthy enough and lucky enough to be around long enough, will see them build it back up. One thing I learned from that organization is that they know how to win.”

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Chuck Finley on struggling reliever Mitch Williams: “The plate’s moving around a little on Mitch. They tell me that in the bullpen he’s right there. You’d like to stick with Mitch and hope he gets that old form back. You don’t save 43 games like he did [in 1993] without having good stuff.” Williams has given up 21 walks in 10 2/3 innings.

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Tonight’s start figures to be pivotal for right-hander Russ Springer. With Brian Anderson (strained left biceps) ready to return to the rotation Monday, another bad start could send Springer back to triple-A Vancouver in swift fashion.

In his last start, Springer gave up 10 hits, including four home runs, and six runs in five innings.

Springer (0-2 with an 11.40 earned-run average) faces Minnesota’s Scott Erickson (2-5, 6.32 ERA). It’s also possible that Springer will move to the bullpen and Williams will be released.