Finley Out at Least Three Weeks

Pitcher Chuck Finley, who broke the bone below his right eye in a freak batting-practice accident Saturday, will be sidelined for three to five weeks, Manager Terry Collins said Sunday.

With Mark Gubicza still questionable because of a sore shoulder, the Angels could open the season with a rotation of Mark Langston, Allen Watson and Jason Dickson, with Jim Abbott, Shigetoshi Hasegawa or Dennis Springer filling the final two spots.

Finley, who was scheduled to be the opening-day starter, suffered a non-displaced break of the floor of the right orbit. Because the bone must heal completely before Finley resumes pitching, he will be limited to no activity for 7-10 days and minimal activity for three weeks.

Finley will need several rehabilitation starts to regain his arm strength, so he is not expected to join the rotation until late April at the earliest. Second baseman Randy Velarde (strained forearm) is also doubtful for the season opener, and closer Troy Percival (back spasms) is out for a week.

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Angel pitchers--especially Jim Abbott and Shad Williams--got hammered again in a 15-9 exhibition loss to Oakland at Phoenix. The Angels (5-13) have lost four straight by a combined score of 55-19, and their major league-worst team earned-run average jumped to 8.41.

“Am I at the end of my rope? I’m getting there,” Collins said after Abbott was rocked for eight runs in 2 2/3 innings and Williams was shelled for five runs in 2 1/3. “Maybe I’m wrong, but I think we’re better than this.”

Abbott looked great in the first inning, striking out Scott Brosius and Jose Canseco, but he tried to nibble the corners too much in the second and third, he lost his aggressiveness and walked two runs in.

“Today was his worst outing,” Collins said.

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Eddie Murray homered for his fourth hit in 28 at-bats (.143). “People have told me you shouldn’t watch him in spring training,” Collins said. “He’s a slow spring training player.” . . . Gubicza threw off a mound again Sunday and will likely start Friday against the Colorado Rockies in Tucson.