Perhaps Hasegawa Should Wear Maroon

Pitcher Shigetoshi Hasegawa has been called on in the late innings recently, a change from his usual long-reliever job. He set up Troy Percival’s last three saves, stranding three runners in the process.

“Long relief or short relief, it’s no different to me,” said Hasegawa, a starter his entire career in Japan. “I don’t notice if we’re winning or losing when I come in. I just make my pitches.”

That is something he has done quite well in June. He has stranded all 11 runners he has inherited this month and his earned-run average has dropped from 4.02 to 3.51.

“In that [set-up] role, you can’t be scared,” Manager Terry Collins said. “Shige isn’t afraid of anything. He’s not afraid to throw the ball over the plate and take his chances.”

*

Reliever Mike James underwent an MRI exam on Monday, which still showed damage to the flexor muscle in his right forearm. He won’t be allowed to throw until the injury heals completely.

“It’s feeling better, but I can still feel it,” James said. “This is something I can’t push. I tried to pitch with pain earlier this season. That’s not going to help the team. I just have to wait it out.”

*

The five-game suspension Yankee pitcher Mike Stanton received Tuesday did not escape Collins’ attention. The American League suspended Stanton for hitting Baltimore’s Eric Davis after a Rafael Palmeiro home run Monday.

“We’re the example that was set,” said Collins, who was suspended for eight games after a brawl between the Angels and Kansas City Royals on June 2. “A precedent is out there. Now we’ll see what happens.

“As far as I know, there were no warnings given to Stanton. He got five days with no warnings. Obviously they are going to crack down. That tells me there is going to be a lot on the umpires, about what they think is intentional.”

Collins did have some advice for pitchers who work inside: “Don’t pitch inside after a home run.”

*

Pitcher Mike Holtz and outfielder Damon Mashore will begin serving their suspensions tonight. Holtz will sit out two games and Mashore one for their part in the Kansas City brawl.

*

Pitcher Allen Watson will make two or three more rehabilitation starts before returning to the team, Collins said. Watson, who pitched four innings for double-A Midland on Tuesday, will start for Class A Lake Elsinore on Sunday. . . . The Angels will honor Hall of Fame inductee Don Sutton before tonight’s game. Sutton won his 300th game with the Angels on June 18, 1986. . . . Also present tonight, but far-from-being honored, will be Dave Henderson, whose infamous home run in the 1986 playoffs began a spiral that cost the Angels their first World Series appearance. Henderson is a TV analyst for the Seattle Mariners.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ JARROD WASHBURN (2-0, 2.29 ERA)

vs.

MARINERS’ JAMIE MOYER (4-6, 3.63 ERA)

Edison Field, 7 p.m.

TV--Fox Sports West

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

* Update--It’s been a long time since the Angels brought up a pitcher during the season who has had as much of an impact as Washburn. Matt Perisho went 0-2 last season, Jason Dickson went 1-4 in 1996, and so on. “Jarrod Washburn came up and said, ‘I do belong here and I’m going to stay here,’ ” Collins said.

Tickets--(714) 634-2000