Hamstring Injury Sidelines Erstad

Darin Erstad was scratched from the Angel lineup Tuesday, a day after suffering a slight strain to his left hamstring. He will not play the rest of the home stand and could miss the team’s first game in Chicago on Friday.

Erstad was injured beating out an infield hit Monday. He appeared to step on the foot of pitcher Steve Karsay, who was covering first.

“It felt like some one held a tight rubber band to my leg and gave it a thwack,” Erstad said. “It didn’t really hurt. I have no idea what happened. It just burned.”

Erstad was treated Tuesday, but could not play. Dave Hollins started at first base.

“I can’t help the team like this,” Erstad said.

With a day off on Thursday, Manager Terry Collins said he would let Erstad rest until Friday.

“You might not see him Friday either,” Collins said.

It is another in a string of key injuries that have hampered the Angels this season. They currently have pitchers Ken Hill and Jack McDowell on the disabled list. Todd Greene may play this season, but will not catch. Tim Salmon is playing with a partially torn ligament in his left foot.

Erstad, batting .303, has been the Angels’ most consistent hitter this season. He is tied for the American League lead with 34 doubles and is second with 140 hits.

He leads the Angels with 19 home runs and 19 stolen bases. He is tied with Salmon for the lead in RBIs with 68.

“Hopefully I’ll be ready to go Friday,” Erstad said.

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McDowell pitched a four-inning simulated game Tuesday, but does not have a third rehabilitation start schedule as of now. He gave up five runs in five innings pitching for Class-A Lake Elsinore on July 30.

McDowell will throw a three-inning simulated game in Chicago on Friday. Pitching coach Marcel Lachemann said that McDowell’s velocity and locations were good, but he still needed better command of his split finger.

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The Angels have won two games on this home stand, both victories by knuckleballer Steve Sparks. Both times he didn’t lack for support. The Angels beat the New York Yankees, 10-5, on July 28 and the Cleveland Indians, 11-4, Monday.

Sparks has been given 21 runs, while the Angels have scored 15 runs in the other five games.

“I’m the only pitcher getting any runs,” Sparks said. “That makes it a lot easier. You can get your pitches up and don’t have to worry about [the knuckleball] dropping out of the strike zone.”

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The Angels refused all offers that included pitching prospects Scott Schoeneweis and Jarrod Washburn in July. Schoeneweis is 1-1 with a 2.82 earned-run average in his last three starts for triple-A Vancouver. Washburn, who was 5-2 with the Angels, had a complete game in victory in his first start since being returned to Vancouver.

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Former Dodger coach Mark Cresse may have been sent packing from Dodger Stadium, but he was more than welcome at Edison Field. Cresse brought the 200 kids from his baseball camp to Edison Field Tuesday, where they received a tour and met players before the game.

TODAY

ANGELS’ OMAR OLIVARES

(5-8, 4.22 ERA)

vs.

INDIANS’ BARTOLO COLON

(11-6, 2.92 ERA)

Edison Field, 1 p.m.

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

* Update--Olivares is 0-6 with a 7.42 ERA in his last eight starts. He did hold the Red Sox to one hit through seven innings before tiring Friday.

Tickets--(714) 634-2000