Velarde Not Progressing as Hoped

Randy Velarde does his daily his exercises, takes ground balls and batting-practice swings and plays catch, but for as hard as the second baseman is working, he might be no closer to returning to the Angel lineup today than he was two months ago.

The problem: Though Velarde hasn’t really regressed in his comeback from elbow reconstruction surgery, he hasn’t progressed to a point where he would have full confidence cutting loose a throw in a game.

And every time he feels like he’s getting close he seems to suffer a setback, a recurring scenario that Manager Terry Collins acknowledged might make it difficult for Velarde to return at all in 1998.

“What we’ve learned in researching his surgery is that some guys take 18 months to recover,” Collins said. “If it takes 18 months for Randy, he could miss this year too. So we’re real cautious.”

Velarde, 35, underwent surgery on April 8, 1997, and the endless hours of rehabilitation, along with his lack of playing, have contributed to him being “mentally shot” at times.

“There are days when I wonder if I’ll ever come back,” Velarde said, “but the way I look at it is, it’s been this long, why get discouraged?”

Velarde said his teammates see him hit and field and throw and figure he’s on the verge of returning, “but I just can’t get over the hump,” he said. “When I extend my elbow fully after throwing for a while, it starts getting irritated and fatigued.

“If I’m playing and a ball goes to the gap I have to be able to depend on my arm. I can’t wait for [shortstop Gary DiSarcina] to be there for a relay--that could be the go-ahead run rounding third. I can’t be the missing link. I have to have confidence that I can go as hard as I have to go.”

*

The daring base-running of Darin Erstad and Dave Hollins and the aggressive tactics of third-base Coach Larry Bowa helped the Angels score two insurance runs in the seventh inning of Friday night’s 5-0 victory over Tampa Bay.

Erstad scored from second despite having to hold up between second and third on Hollins’ sinking liner to left, and Hollins scored from second on a grounder that barely left the infield. Bowa, of course, had no second-thoughts about his decision to send both.

“If we have the lead, the way we’re hitting right now, I’m sending everybody,” Bowa said. “I’m not going to wait around for a two-out hit, especially with those two guys running.

“There are a lot of guys who, when they’re not hitting, don’t run as hard on the bases. If they’re 0 for 3, they run like they’re 0 for 3. Not those two guys. They have speed and they’re smart, so I send them.”

*

The Angels on Saturday activated reliever Pep Harris (inflamed right shoulder) from the 15-day disabled list and optioned the right-hander to Class-A Lake Elsinore, where, the Angels believe, he’ll have better weather for his rehabilitation. . . . How barren was the Shea Stadium auxiliary clubhouse the Angels used for Wednesday’s game against the Yankees? There was no food, no coffee. . . . “We didn’t have anything,” Collins said. “We had to bring our own gum.” . . . One reason Angel ace Chuck Finley has been so successful this season is the left-hander has limited right-handed batters to a .150 average in his four starts. Left-handers are hitting .281 against Finley. . . . Collins and Baltimore Oriole General Manager Pat Gillick will be the featured speakers at Tuesday’s 11:30 a.m. Sports Newsmakers luncheon at the Arrowhead Pond. The event is open to the public but reservations are suggested. Details: (714) 758-0222.

TODAY

ANGELS’ ALLEN WATSON

(0-2, 11.17 ERA)

vs.

DEVIL RAYS’ ROLANDO ARROJO

(1-1, 8.16 ERA)

Edison Field, 1 p.m.

Radio--KRLA (1110), XPRS (1090)

* Update--Watson might be the only Angel who benefited from the two postponed games in New York last week--he didn’t recover from severe flu-like symptoms until Friday and might not have been able to make his originally scheduled start against the Yankees on Wednesday. “Thank God I didn’t have to pitch [Wednesday or Thursday],” Watson said. “I was miserable on our flight home [from New York Wednesday]. But I got over it. I should be fine.” Arrojo, the right- hander who defected from Cuba, won the first game in Devil Ray history but has given up nine earned runs and 17 hits in 8 1/3 innings of his previous three starts.