Extra Pitcher Means Collins Won’t Wear Out Starters Early

One reason the Angels opened the season with 12 pitchers, the final roster spot going to rookie left-hander Scott Schoeneweis, is that Manager Terry Collins plans to regulate the workload of his starters the first week of the season.

There will be no Randy Johnson-type efforts--the Arizona left-hander threw 125 pitches in Monday’s opening game against the Dodgers. Angel starters, with the possible exception of knuckleballer Steve Sparks, will be on strict 100-pitch limits the first time through the rotation.

“The first start of the season, guys can pitch on adrenaline alone,” Collins said. “It’s that second and third start that can be affected by that. I’m not going to sacrifice the next three games for one.

“We did some research on this and we’re going to stick with it. A lot of times when you overdo it early, it can affect you in your next start.”

Collins didn’t bring it up, but it was probably in the back of his mind--Angel right-hander Ken Hill threw 148 pitches in a 5-4 win over Oakland last May 20, and shortly thereafter developed elbow problems that led to surgery to remove bone chips and shave down bone spurs.

With Schoeneweis, one of the team’s top prospects, the Angels have a third left-hander in the bullpen, joining Mike Holtz and Mike Magnante, and one who is capable of going four or five innings.

“We wanted to make sure we had depth there,” Collins said. “Some guys may not remember, but Chuck Finley came up to the big leagues as a reliever [in 1986]. A lot of guys do that to get their feet wet.”

*

After left-hander Mark Langston, who pitched eight seasons for the Angels (1990-97), was released by the San Diego Padres on March 29, he awoke the next morning to some startling news.

“I picked up the newspaper, and there I was, retired,” Langston said. “There were quotes from me and everything. It was a big shock. Nobody even asked me. It was funny for half a day. Then I started getting all these calls from guys telling me what a nice career I had. I’m not done yet.”

Langston still doesn’t know if the Padres announced he had retired, “or if a writer made that decision for me.” By the end of the week, the 38-year-old had signed a minor league contract with the Indians, and he will report to extended spring training in Florida later this week.

*

Team physician Lewis Yocum will decide today or Thursday whether to drain a 1 1/2-inch long ganglion cyst in the back of center fielder Jim Edmonds’ right shoulder.

Yocum said the cyst should not impair Edmonds’ ability to play and was confident that Edmonds, who is also suffering from groin and lower-back injuries, would be ready to return when he is eligible to come off the disabled list April 14.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ KEN HILL (9-6, 4.98 ERA)

vs.

INDIANS’ DAVE BURBA (15-10, 4.11)

Edison Field, 7:30

TV--Fox Sports West, Radio--KLAC (570)

* Update--Indian left fielder David Justice left Tuesday night’s game in the bottom of the second because of a strained left calf. The Angels opened the season with eight players, including center fielder Jim Edmonds and shortstop Gary DiSarcina, on the disabled list, but Collins said now is the time to focus on the players the Angels have, not the ones they don’t have. “You can’t keep dwelling on negativism,” Collins said. “You have to start looking at the positive side of things. I could ask Mike [Hargrove, Cleveland manger] to take his center fielder and shortstop out, but I don’t think that’s going to happen.” Hill appeared to be physically sound in spring training, but he wasn’t especially sharp, going 2-4 with a 7.08 ERA in six starts.