Much-Traveled Juden Will Replace Someone in the Starting Rotation

The Angels, shut out on getting a pitcher before the nonwaiver trade deadline, acquired Jeff Juden from the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday for a player to be named and an undisclosed amount of cash.

The New York Yankees also claimed Juden, but the Angels are lower in the standings and get to choose ahead of them.

Manager Terry Collins said he will use Juden as a starter. Juden, 27 was 7-11 with a 5.53 earned-run average with the Brewers, but has lost 10 of his last 12 decisions, including his last seven.

“We’ll pick out a day for him to start,” Collins said.

This is Juden’s seventh team in seven years. He has shown ability, winning 10 consecutive decisions over two seasons with San Francisco and Montreal.

Juden has been ejected twice this season.

On May 18, Juden was ejected after hitting Colorado pitcher Pedro Astacio with a pitch. Astacio was so angry, he threatened Juden with a bat.

On July 24, he was thrown out for arguing ball and strike calls, angering Milwaukee Manager Phil Garner. It was the first game of a doubleheader and Garner had to use up his bullpen in that game. The Brewers were crushed in the second game, as Garner had to stick with starter Paul Wagner, who gave up 11 runs in the second game.

“Because of things that happened with him in the past, people are going to say, ‘Garner had enough of him,’ ” Garner said. “That wasn’t it. This was a baseball decision. He just wasn’t getting the job done.”

There have been other incidents through the years.

When he was with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1995, Juden hit a grand slam against the Dodgers and pranced around the bases. He bowed to the crowd in his next at bat.

Later that season, Phillie Manager Jim Fregosi pulled Juden from the starting rotation. It was reported that when Juden asked why, Fregosi said, “Because you are the most unprofessional player I’ve ever seen.”

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Juden will displace someone in the rotation.

Chuck Finley is the only starter with a lock on his job. So Juden will replace either Steve Sparks, Omar Olivares, Allen Watson or Jason Dickson.

Sparks has been the most consistent of those four. The ERAs of both Watson and Dickson have ballooned above 6.00.

“That puts a little pressure on us,” Sparks said. “But it’s good pressure.”

Said Olivares: “I can’t worry about it. I can only worry about pitching.”

Juden last pitched on Wednesday.

“We got a couple guys coming off the disabled list that will change things pretty soon too,” Sparks said.

One will, anyway. Ken Hill threw on the sideline Friday and will make a rehabilitation start for Class-A Cedar Rapids on Sunday. But Jack McDowell, who has already had two rehabilitation starts, is further off.

“Jack is going have to throw another simulated game at least,” Collins said. “Then we’ll send him on rehab. He needs an actual game, where he has to set up some stuff.”

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Darin Erstad said his sore left hamstring felt better, but he was no closer to playing.

“They don’t know how many more days he’s going to miss,” Collins said.

Collins had adjusted his lineup before Friday’s game, with Randy Velarde batting leadoff and rookie Troy Glaus hitting cleanup.

“Is that where I’m at?” Glaus said when asked about hitting cleanup. “I have to go check that out.”

Glaus returned a minute later.

“That’s good stuff,” Glaus said. “But it doesn’t really matter as long as my name is up there. I could be hitting ninth.”

GAME 1

ANGELS’

JASON DICKSON

(9-9, 6.16 ERA)

vs.

WHITE SOX’S

MIKE SIROTKA

(10-10, 4.85 ERA)

GAME 2

ANGELS’

STEVE SPARKS

(5-2, 4.96 ERA)

vs.

WHITE SOX’S

JAIME NAVARRO

(8-13, 6.10 ERA)

Comiskey Park, 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.

TV--Channel 9 (4 p.m.) Radio--KRLA (1110), XPRS (1090)

* Update--Friday’s rainout forced the Angels into a doubleheader today, not that Collins minded. But he is hoping to escape the weekend without being burned by Frank Thomas or Robin Ventura. Thomas is batting .257, well off his career average. Ventura has 21 hits in his last 128 at bats (.164). “They are going to spin up a 10-for-15 weekend series here pretty soon,” Collins said. “I just hope it’s against Oakland.”