Percival Gets Day Off to Rest Elbow

Closer Troy Percival was unavailable for Friday’s game because of a tender elbow, which flared up during his last outing when he pitched one inning for a save against Baltimore.

“I felt something pop on the second-to-last pitch,” Percival said. “I played catch today and everything felt fine. I just didn’t want to crank it today.”

Said Manager Terry Collins: “I just wanted to give him another day off. It doesn’t concern me right now. If he comes to me again tomorrow and says that it’s still tight, that will be different.”

Percival said the problem was unrelated to what he went through last season, when he spent more than a month on the disabled list because of weakness in his right shoulder.

Percival has four saves this season. He gave up one run, one hit and walked two in the one inning Wednesday. He seemed out of sync the entire inning and threw only one strike in walking the first two batters.

“That had nothing to do with my arm,” Percival said. “I was just bad.”

*

Tim Salmon, in Southern California nursing a strained ligament in his left foot, began therapy Friday. In his place was Damon Mashore, who played right field Friday. Collins said he likely will spread the playing time around.

“It’s day to day,” Collins said. “It’s Mashore tonight and maybe Frank Bolick tomorrow. I want to get more left-handed bats in the lineup tomorrow. [Pitcher Rolando] Arrojo is tough on right-handers. It will depend on the situations.”

Mashore was five for 14 lifetime against Wilson Alvarez, Friday’s starter, and singled in a run in the first inning and later homered. Mashore had two hits after replacing Salmon on Wednesday night and was four for 14 on the home stand.

Meanwhile, Salmon will be reexamined Monday. The best-case scenario would have him rejoining the team Tuesday in Baltimore.

*

Sandy Koufax visited the Angel clubhouse before the game.

“He’s an old friend,” Collins said. “He called me during spring training and said he might come to Tampa. He’s not here to talk pitching.”

Nevertheless, Koufax watched Chuck Finley throw in the bullpen and spent 40 minutes with the Angel pitcher.

“We really didn’t talk too much about pitching,” Finley said. “He gave me some suggestions on my curveball. When God talks, you have to listen. I know a little about pitching, but compared to what he knows it wouldn’t fill a thimble.”

*

As if things weren’t bad enough for the struggling Cecil Fielder. He hit into his fifth double play of the season Friday, with the bases loaded in the second inning. In the fifth, he seemed to have an RBI single when his hard ground ball hit off third baseman Bobby Smith’s glove. But the ball ricocheted to shortstop Kevin Stocker, who threw Fielder out to end the inning.

“You just have to laugh when that happens,” Fielder said.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ KEN HILL (3-1, 2.92 ERA)

vs.

DEVIL RAYS’ ROLANDO ARROJO (2-1, 5.48 ERA)

Tropicana Field, 3:30 p.m. PDT

TV--Channel 9. Radio--KRLA (1110), XPRS (1090).

* Update--This may be a budding rivalry. Last week, some Tampa Bay players accused Finley of scuffing the baseball. Finley responded by questioning some of the Devil Rays’ major league ability. Wednesday, Devil Ray pitchers hit four Angel batters before Allen Watson plunked Stocker in the third inning. Collins said he didn’t think the hit batters were intentional. Watson made it clear they better not have been. “Ken Hill goes [today] and he doesn’t throw in the 80s, he throws in the 90s,” Watson said.