Gubicza Has an Encouraging Outing

A sagging starting rotation received a shot in the arm Friday night when Mark Gubicza, out since March 2 because of a sore shoulder, threw two innings in the Angels’ 10-5 exhibition loss to the Colorado Rockies in Tucson, their eighth loss in a row.

Gubicza gave up two runs in the first, but he retired the side in order in the second. He threw 28 pitches, 17 for strikes, struck out two and walked none.

“There’s no question I’ll be able to start the season,” Gubicza said. “It’s like [the three-week] spring training in 1995 when we only had three or four starts. I should be able to throw six innings the first time out.”

Gubicza will have two more spring starts. Manager Terry Collins said if he’s confident Gubicza can throw 90 pitches, he’ll start him in the No. 5 spot behind Mark Langston, Jason Dickson, Allen Watson and Shigetoshi Hasegawa.

“He threw the ball well, and there was some life to his pitches,” Collins said. “I think he’ll throw even better the next time.”

The optimism surrounding Gubicza was tempered by another rocky outing by Jim Abbott, who gave up five runs on four hits and six walks in three innings. That came on the heels of Sunday’s 2 2/3-inning, eight-run stint.

Collins said two weeks ago that Abbott would have “a major role” on the team, as a starter or reliever, but the left-hander, who has a 13.50 earned run average, hasn’t done anything to warrant a roster spot.

Asked if Abbott has pitched well enough to make the team, Collins hesitated before answering, and then essentially avoided the issue. “That’s a question you could ask of a lot of guys,” he said.

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Chuck Finley, who broke the bone below his right eye in a freak batting practice accident last Saturday, has been cleared to resume throwing lightly and riding an exercise bike.

Finley won’t start the season with the Angels, but if he can begin throwing and working out rigorously in the next week or so, he could return to the rotation by the middle of April, as opposed to late April.

The outlook for second baseman Randy Velarde wasn’t as encouraging. Velarde’s elbow and forearm are still inflamed, and team physician Lewis Yocum has not cleared him to resume throwing. Velarde will probably open the season on the disabled list.

First baseman Darin Erstad, pulled from Friday’s game after three innings, was found to have inflammation in his left hip. He will sit out tonight’s game against the Rockies and will be reevaluated Sunday.

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Collins confirmed Friday that Hasegawa has won a spot in the rotation, but Japanese media members hoping for a Hasegawa-Nomo matchup in the Freeway Series will be disappointed. Hasegawa will pitch against a team of Angel prospects in Lake Elsinore on Wednesday night, and Nomo is tentatively scheduled to pitch against the Angels in Dodger Stadium on Friday night. . . . Luis Alicea hit a two-run homer and Chris Pritchett had a two-run double for the Angels on Friday night. . . . Watson pitched six innings of a triple-A game Friday, giving up no runs and five hits.