Velarde Struggles but at Least He’s Playing

The hard part is over for Angel second baseman Randy Velarde--elbow surgery, rehabilitation, more pain, more rehab.

Now comes the difficult stuff--slumps.

Velarde has worked his way back from the injury and is now fighting through the insults. . . . of hitless games.

“Even the best hitters are going to fail 70% of the time,” Velarde said. “There is a still a lot of the year left. I know in time that it’s going to turn around.”

It did a little Thursday.

Velarde had two ground-ball singles in his first two at-bats, which led to the first two Angel runs. On Wednesday, Velarde blooped a single into center in his first at-bat.

“He has a short compact swing and puts the ball in play,” Manager Terry Collins said. “He wants to win and gets ready to win. I’m sure he’s going to get there.”

This is not the first slump in Velarde’s career, but it’s his first since returning to the lineup after missing 1 1/2 years because of reconstructive elbow surgery.

Velarde was hitting .297 in his first seven games after being activated on Aug. 3. Then the bottom fell out. Velarde was four for 29 in his next nine games. His average dropped to .227; it’s now .246.

“You have to make adjustments and work through it,” Velarde said. “The main thing is I’m in the game every day. I’m not sitting and watching.”

Thursday, Velarde rolled a single into left on a hit-and-run play in the first, sending Orlando Palmeiro to third. Palmeiro scored on Darin Erstad’s groundout for a 1-0 lead.

It was Velarde who started the Angels’ six-run third, again grounding a pitch into left. He went to third when Erstad’s pop up to left fell for a double. Velarde, then scored on a wild pitch for a 2-0 Angel lead.

Neither of Velarde’s hits could be considered a shot heard round the world. But they were hits.

“There is no question that we rushed this guy faster than anybody,” Collins said. “He hasn’t had a spring training. Your regular players get 75 at-bats in spring to get ready.”

Velarde went four for 16 in four games with triple-A Vancouver in late July before being brought back to Anaheim. The Angels, though, weren’t concerned about his hitting. They just wanted make sure his elbow was sound.

It was and, as a bonus, Velarde went three for five against Cleveland in his first game back. He had two hits and drove in two runs against Chicago on Aug. 8, then went down hill fast.

Still, the lack of success at the plate hasn’t affected Velarde in the field. He and shortstop Gary DiSarcina have become a smooth team turning double plays, including one to end the third inning Thursday.

Velarde also ended the second inning by ranging far to his left to field Gabe Alvarez’s ground ball. He then threw to first while his momentum carried him into right field.

It’s the type of play that might make Collins cringe. But Velarde said he has no concerns about his elbow. He did sit out one game in Toronto because of soreness--and had a run-scoring single when he finally entered the game.

“It was nothing related to the problems I had before,” Velarde said. “I just needed one day to rest.”

His bat has slumbered more often, although luck hasn’t been with him.

Last week in Detroit, he hit a line drive at third baseman Alvarez. Two days later in Toronto, Velarde lined out to right in his first at-bat and lined out to second base the next time up.

“I let him swing on a 3-0 pitch and he absolutely crushed that one in Detroit,” Collins said. “He’s a proud guy and he’s a little bit frustrated right now. I’m not worried about him. I know he’s going to break loose.”