Lachemann: Arias Likely to Start

George Arias came to spring training hoping to survive the Angels’ first cut. It appears he will leave camp as the team’s starting third baseman.

Manager Marcel Lachemann said the final decision hasn’t been made, but the Angels are leaning heavily toward starting the 24-year-old rookie over veteran Tim Wallach, and coaches have already talked to Wallach about a possible reserve role.

“I’m still kind of in shock,” said Arias, who had 30 home runs and 104 RBIs at double-A Midland last season. “It’s like I’m in la-la land now and don’t want to wake up from this dream I’m having.”

Arias went three for three in Monday’s 8-7 loss to the Colorado Rockies to improve his spring average to .436. Wallach is batting .421, but it’s defense that has separated the two. The Angels aren’t satisfied with Wallach’s range or quickness, and they’ve been very impressed with Arias, who has made several spectacular plays and only one error.

Arias is trying to brace himself for the difficult jump from double-A to the major leagues. “The media has a lot to do with it,” said Arias, a seventh-round pick in 1993. “If you’re struggling, it can be tough to deal with.

“You tell all your friends you made the major leagues, and then things don’t go well and you get sent down, and people second-guess whether you should have made it in the first place. You have to be mature about it. If you can accept criticism, you’re going to last a long time in this business.”

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Phil Leftwich was optioned to triple-A Vancouver and Jason Grimsley was reassigned to minor league camp Monday, meaning Scott Sanderson has locked up the No. 5 spot in the rotation.

But Sanderson might not start for the Angels until mid-April. With two off days in the first two weeks of the season, Lachemann might open with a four-man rotation (Chuck Finley, Mark Langston, Jim Abbott and Shawn Boskie) and 10-man pitching staff.

In other moves Monday, pitcher Steve Ontiveros (elbow injury) and reliever Bryan Harvey (elbow) were placed on the 15-day disabled list, reliever Todd Frohwirth was reassigned to minor league camp, and first baseman Ricky Jordan was sold to the Seattle Mariners for an undisclosed amount of cash, bringing the roster to 33 active players.

Third baseman Eduardo Perez, who has not played this spring because of a shoulder injury, was assigned to minor league camp but remains on the major league roster because injured players cannot be sent down. General Manager Bill Bavasi said as soon as Perez is healthy, he will be sent to Vancouver.

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Closer Lee Smith, making his second spring appearance in his return from off-season knee surgery, gave up two runs on three hits in the ninth to take the loss. But he had no problems fielding a bunt and felt no pain in his knee.

“I’m glad they bunted on me,” Smith said. “I need to let them know I can still move, that I’m not totally handicapped.”

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Shortstop Gary DiSarcina returned to Massachusetts to be with his 1 1/2-year-old daughter, Carlee, who was scheduled to have a kidney removed Monday at Children’s Hospital of Boston.

Tom Tanzer, DiSarcina’s agent, said the operation was more a preventive than emergency procedure, and that Carlee, who was born with defective kidneys, is expected to lead a normal life. DiSarcina is scheduled to return to the team Wednesday.