BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : Ontiveros Has Soreness in Elbow

Pitcher Steve Ontiveros spent the 879th day of his 13-year professional baseball career on the disabled list Tuesday, and there seemed to be little hope the right-hander would make his way to the active roster any time soon.

Ontiveros, projected as the team’s No. 4 starter, threw three innings of an intrasquad game in Mesa, Ariz., Sunday and, according to Manager Marcel Lachemann, felt fine Monday. But Ontiveros took a turn for the worse Tuesday, complaining of tenderness and discomfort in his elbow.

X-rays of the elbow taken Tuesday were negative, but Ontiveros underwent a magnetic resonance imaging test--which reveals damage to muscles or ligaments--Tuesday night, the results of which should be available today.

“He has gotten worse and we want to find out why,” said Lewis Yocum, team physician. “Right now we’re going to treat it as a sore elbow, and we should know more [today]. But he knows his body well, and if he’s concerned, we’re concerned.”

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While the Dodgers have openly discussed--and even flaunted--their intentions of making the playoffs and World Series, there has been no talk of postseason play in the Angel clubhouse.

“They have a goal of playing in October, but you can do nothing about October in April,” Lachemann said. “If you prepare for today, do the things you’re supposed to do today, things will take care of themselves.”

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Reliever Mark Holzemer looked more like a Green Beret Tuesday, keeping a promise to bullpen cohort Troy Percival by shaving his head after he made the opening-day roster. “That could be the worst haircut I’ve ever seen,” reliever Mike James said. “He looks like a Hare Krishna. He’s not going to be on the cover of GQ magazine, that’s for sure.” . . . Closer Lee Smith, who has never met a team meeting he liked, sat in the Angel dugout as teammates held their second pre-game meeting of the evening in the clubhouse. “We’re having a meeting to decide when to have the next meeting?” Smith asked. . . . Infielder Damion Easley, on the 15-day DL because of a shoulder injury, probably will make several rehabilitation starts in the minor leagues before he is activated.