Percival Says He’s Fine

Troy Percival threw in the bullpen before Monday night’s game and declared himself fit to pitch 48 hours after undergoing a brain MRI and an arteriogram in an attempt to determine the cause of his repeated dizzy spells.

The tests showed no irregularities, so doctors are focusing on two other possible causes: allergies and Percival’s intake of nicotine and caffeine.

“My mom is allergic to cigarette and cigar ashes, and I had a couple of cigars before we went on the road, so it’s possible that had something to do with it,” he said. “Or it could’ve been some kind of food allergy.”

Doctors are also concerned about Percival’s notorious coffee consumption and his use of smokeless tobacco.

“I had already cut them both in half,” he said. “I was down from 10 cups of coffee a day to about four, down from two cans of dip to one and stopped chewing [tobacco] two or three times a day.

“I’m not going to dip or chew at all anymore, and I’m going to cut way back on the coffee. I might be a little grouchy, but I’ll be playing. The doctors said I can have a cup of coffee before I pitch if I feel like I need it.”

Percival, whose wife, Michelle, is pregnant with the couple’s first child, said last year he probably would have just ignored the symptoms, but felt he “owed it to his family” to get checked out after team trainers advised seeing a doctor.

Percival’s use of smokeless tobacco and caffeine were thought to be a possible cause of his shoulder problems in April and May of 1997 when he spent five weeks on the disabled list. But the weakness in his shoulder was later determined to be the result of nerve damage suffered in a car accident six years earlier.

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Right-hander Ken Hill, on the disabled list after undergoing surgery to remove bone spurs from his elbow, threw split-finger fastballs for the first time in the bullpen Monday night and said he felt “good” afterward. If he continues to progress, he could be ready to go on a rehabilitation assignment in 10 days to two weeks. . . . Second baseman Randy Velarde is scheduled to begin a rehabilitation assignment Wednesday.

ON DECK

* Opponent--New York Yankees, three games.

* Site--Edison Field.

* Tonight--7.

* TV--Fox Sports West, tonight and Wednesday, Channel 9, Thursday.

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

* Records--Angels 57-47, Yankees, 73-26.

* Record vs. Yankees--2-1.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ JASON DICKSON (9-7, 5.78 ERA) vs. YANKEES’ DAVID CONE (14-3, 3.44)

* Update--The Yankees and Angels are both leading their divisions, but they’re not exactly an even match, as a quick look at the teams’ starting pitchers for the series indicates. The three Yankee starters in this series have a combined 32-11 record; the Angel starters are 20-14.

* Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.--Steve Sparks (3-2, 4.93) vs. Orlando Hernandez (5-2, 2.43).

Thursday, 7 p.m.--Chuck Finley (8-5, 3.13) vs. Andy Pettitte (13-6, 3.70).