Mark Langston thinks he’s ready to return...

Mark Langston thinks he’s ready to return from the disabled list, but the Angels apparently weren’t ready to open a roster spot for him--but that was before Chuck Finley sprained his left wrist in the second inning against the Yankees.

Manager Terry Collins wanted Langston to make one more rehabilitation start in the minors, but after a 15-minute closed-door meeting with Langston and Bavasi, Collins announced that Langston would instead pitch a simulated game in the bullpen Thursday.

Langston, a veteran with the right to refuse an assignment to the minors, told an approaching reporter, “I have no comment about it,” before a question was even asked.

Bavasi turned out to be prophetic when he said, “In the future, I can see a spot where we may need a starter and it may be him . . . but we won’t be putting him back on [the roster] just to satisfy him.”

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Infielder George Arias was awarded to San Diego via a waiver claim, completing last week’s Rickey Henderson trade.

TODAY’S GAMES

GAME 1: ANGELS’ KEN HILL (6-9, 5.35 ERA) vs. YANKEES’ DWIGHT GOODEN (5-4, 4.97 ERA); GAME 2:ANGELS’ UNDECIDED vs. YANKEES’ HIDEKI IRABU (3-2, 7.26 ERA)

Anaheim Stadium, 4 p.m and 7:30 p.m.

TV--Fox Sports West (second game).

Radio--KTZN (710).

* Update--Jason Dickson was scheduled to start the first game of today’s doubleheader, but was called on Tuesday to relieve an injured Chuck Finley. So the Angels could bring Mark Langston off the disabled list or they could give Shigetoshi Hasegawa a start. Hill will be pitching on only three days’ rest and “he hasn’t done that in a long, long time,” Manager Terry Collins said. Irabu will be making his second start since returning after being optioned to the minors July 28. He earned a victory in his last start, giving up six hits and three earned runs in 5 1/3 innings against Kansas City. Gooden has won three of his last four starts.