Bruised Back Keeps Edmonds Out of Lineup

Center fielder Jim Edmonds suffered what trainer Ned Bergert described as “a bruised upper back” when he slammed into the wall in the ninth inning Friday night chasing a drive off the bat of Toronto’s Shawn Green and will be out of the lineup for at least a couple of days.

“I didn’t have time to brace myself,” Edmonds said. “I was just focusing on catching the ball. It’s not one spot, it’s a combination of my shoulder and my back and it’s very sore.”

Edmonds said he knew the minute he woke up Saturday he would not be able to play. He’s not sure how well the injury will respond to treatment or how long it will be before he can return to the lineup, but he’s pretty sure it won’t be until Monday’s game in New York at the earliest.

“I’m day to day,” he said, “but it doesn’t feel like it will get better in the next 10 hours.”

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After scouring the rule book, the Angels withdrew their protest of Friday night’s loss to the Blue Jays.

With the bases loaded and one out in the second inning, Gary DiSarcina hit a sinking line drive that right-fielder Green trapped. Matt Walbeck ran from first to second, touched second, and then retreated because Garret Anderson was still standing at second. The Blue Jays threw to third to force Anderson and then to second to force Walbeck. Since a run cannot score on a force play, umpires disallowed the run Edmonds had scored from third.

Collins believed that since Walbeck had touched second, he should have to be either tagged out or out on appeal and that the run should be allowed, but the applicable part of Rule 7.08 (e) states: “If the forced runner, after touching the next base, retreats for any reason toward the base he had last occupied, the force play is reinstated, and he can again be put out if the defense tags the base to which he is forced.”

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Collins said the only other time he protested a game was in the Mexican League, where the official process for appealing is, well, a bit different and apparently involves a filing fee.

“I told the umpire I was protesting and he said I’d have to pay him right there,” Collins said. “So I sent somebody into the clubhouse to get my wallet and there I am, standing on the field, peeling off pesos.”

How much did he have to submit?

“I think it was 2,500 pesos,” Collins said.

And how much was that at the current rate of exchange?

“I don’t know, like 85 cents.”

TODAY

ANGELS’ CHUCK FINLEY (9-6, 3.01 ERA) vs. BLUE JAYS’ WOODY WILLIAMS (9-8, 4.65 ERA)

Edison Field, 1 p.m.

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

* Update--Right-hander Ken Hill, scheduled to make a rehabilitation start in Lake Elsinore today, may have decided he doesn’t need to. “The player doesn’t have to go on those, you know,” Manager Terry Collins said. Shortstop Gary DiSarcina will get a rare day off today and Norberto Martin, who was activated from the disabled list Friday, will start in his place. Finley has the third-best earned-run average (3.01) in the league and is fourth in strikeouts (173), but the Angels are averaging 3.8 runs a game in his last 13 starts. The Blue Jays have scored more than five runs a game in Williams’ 25 starts.

Tickets--(714) 663-9000.