No Room for Eddie Murray

The Angels got a surprise visit from a future Hall of Famer Friday . . . Eddie Murray. Front-office executives did not expect Murray to spend two weeks rehabilitating at Class-A Lake Elsinore. Nor did they expect the 41-year old to be in Anaheim after two minor league starts.

But there was Murray on Friday afternoon, taking batting practice before the Angel-Blue Jay game, all dressed up with no place to play.

“He’s healthy and ready to go, but we just told him there’s no place to put him right now,” General Manager Bill Bavasi said. “We don’t want to send anyone down and no one is hurt. He said he understands.”

Todd Greene, the Angels’ third catcher, had five hits, including two homers, Wednesday and Thursday night, and Manager Terry Collins doesn’t want to part with anyone else on his bench, which has played an integral part of the Angels’ success.

Craig Grebeck and Jack Howell are versatile infielders, outfielder Orlando Palmeiro has been a solid defensive replacement when Jim Edmonds’ ailing knees act up, and he’s the team’s top pinch-runner. With two doubleheaders on the next trip, the Angels can’t afford to demote a pitcher.

Murray, a 21-year veteran who has been on the disabled list since June 12 because of tendinitis in his right wrist, can demand the Angels activate or release him. Was he trying to force their hand Friday night?

“I’ve got nothing to say,” Murray said.

Bavasi said Murray has not asked to be released, and Tim Mead, assistant general manager, said Murray “was not storming around the clubhouse or anything” after he was told he wasn’t going to be activated.

But how long is Murray willing to remain in this arrangement? No one seems to know.

“I like having three catchers,” Collins said of Greene, Chad Kreuter and Jim Leyritz. “All three provide something and deserve a chance to play. We have no choice right now but to leave Eddie on the DL.”

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Mark Langston, recovering from May 27 elbow surgery, threw 20 minutes off a mound at full strength Friday, using all of his pitches, and expects to throw a simulated game Tuesday. If all goes well, Langston hopes to make two or three starts at Lake Elsinore before returning to the Angel rotation the first week of August. . . . Reliever Rich DeLucia was unavailable Friday night because of numbness in several fingers on his pitching hand, a condition that has hampered him the past few weeks. He was examined by a specialist during the game. ... Second baseman Luis Alicea didn’t start Friday night, and it was obvious by his animated conversation with Collins during batting practice he wasn’t too happy about it. “I’ve got 25 guys who all want to play--it’s not easy, and if you think it is you can come in tomorrow and make out the lineup,” Collins told reporters. “Then you can put up with their bitching.”

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TONIGHT’S GAME

ANGELS’ JASON DICKSON (10-4, 3.26 ERA) vs. BLUE JAYS’ ROBERT PERSON (3-6, 5.25 ERA)

Anaheim Stadium, 7 p.m.

TV--Fox Sports West. Radio--KTZN (710).

* Update--A string of three games in which Angel starting pitchers did not walk a batter ended in the second inning Friday night when Allen Watson walked Carlos Delgado. Dickson, who made the American League All-Star team, ended a monthlong dry spell with a seven-inning, one-run, eight-hit victory over Texas on Tuesday night, and the rookie right-hander has walked only two in 26 innings of his last four starts. The Angels’ 8-0 record after the All-Star break through Thursday night was their best start after the break in franchise history. The Angels were also 29-17 in Anaheim Stadium through Thursday, the most wins at home in the AL.