It’s Decision Time for Lachemann

The core of the Angels’ 25-man roster appears set entering the final week of spring training, but Manager Marcel Lachemann will have the difficult task of filling the final four spots from a group of nine players.

The 11-man pitching staff will include starters Chuck Finley, Mark Langston, Jim Abbott, Shawn Boskie and either Phil Leftwich, Scott Sanderson or Jason Grimsley. The six relievers will likely be Lee Smith, Troy Percival, Mike James, Mark Holzemer, Mark Eichhorn and Dennis Springer.

Ten position players--first baseman J.T. Snow, second baseman Randy Velarde, shortstop Gary DiSarcina, outfielders Tim Salmon, Jim Edmonds and Garret Anderson, designated hitter Chili Davis, catchers Jorge Fabregas and Don Slaught, and utility player Rex Hudler--appear to be locks.

One spot will be filled by the winner of the third base battle between Tim Wallach and George Arias, and either Damion Easley, if his throwing shoulder is strong enough, or Dick Schofield will likely fill a utility spot.

That means Lachemann must choose between Chris Turner, Jack Howell, Ricky Jordan, Mike Aldrete and Orlando Palmeiro for the final two spots. Turner might have an edge because he can catch, as well as play third, first and outfield, and Lachemann has been impressed with Jordan’s potent bat.

But Jordan, who has shoulder problems, can only play first. Howell’s chances improve if he recovers quickly from a strained groin, because he provides some power from the left side and can platoon with Wallach.

Palmeiro is a capable backup center fielder with speed but no power, and Aldrete, another lefty who can play outfield and first, is a proven major league pinch-hitter. But Aldrete’s .214 average this spring won’t help.

*

The muscle spasms in his neck that forced Salmon to miss Friday’s game have actually been bothering him about three weeks, which makes you wonder how the right fielder would be hitting this spring if he was 100%.

Salmon has a .320 average with six home runs, 14 runs batted in and 12 runs scored, even though, he said, merely “turning my head to the right side caused a lot of pain.”

A vertebra in the back of Salmon’s neck was found to have been out of alignment, and that was causing the muscle spasms. Salmon spent Friday undergoing deep massage therapy and acupuncture--”It didn’t hurt, I didn’t feel a thing,” Salmon said--and he was back in the lineup Saturday.

“It was a total relief to find out exactly what the problem is,” Salmon said. “It was causing so much discomfort that warming up each day was starting to become a chore. But I feel pretty good today, and I don’t think this is going to be a problem.”

*

The Angels played one of their worst games of the spring Saturday night, committing three errors and allowing 17 hits in a 15-1 loss to the Seattle Mariners in Peoria, Ariz.

Leftwich appeared to be the front-runner for the fifth spot in the rotation but stumbled Saturday, allowing nine hits and eight runs--four of them earned--in 3 2/3 innings.

Springer, the knuckleball pitcher who gave up one run in 15 1/3 previous innings, was bombed for seven runs, all earned, in 2 1/3 innings. He walked three batters in the fifth and gave up a grand slam to Paul Sorrento.

The only bright spots for the Angels were Wallach, who had two hits, and reliever Percival, who retired the side in order in the seventh.

“We stunk. We played poorly. We had no emotion,” Lachemann said. “I’m very disappointed. That was by far our worst performance of the spring.”