Collins Quick-Pitches Hasegawa

The Angel starting rotation gets some fresh blood this week. Shigetoshi Hasegawa comes out of the bullpen Monday to face the Seattle Mariners, his first start since Sept. 27, 1997.

“That’s the first pitcher, right?” Hasegawa said.

Hasegawa appeared in 61 games last season, all in relief. He was a starter almost exclusively for six seasons in Japan, but wasn’t effective in that role in seven starts with the Angels in 1997.

He was 0-3 with a 6.62 earned-run average as a starter. He was 3-7 with a 3.93 ERA overall.

“I know a little more now,” Hasegawa said. “I have a little better fastball and I use my changeup more. I didn’t use that a lot my first year here. This time I’m going to try not to think too much.”

Manager Terry Collins is hoping to get five, maybe six innings out of Hasegawa. His longest outing this season was three innings. He threw 52 pitches in that June 22 game in Seattle.

“He’s gone 50 pitches before,” Collins said. “Another 20 won’t be a big deal.”

Collins was coy about his reasons for selecting Hasegawa--”I don’t give out scouting reports,” Collins said--but Hasegawa’s effectiveness against the Mariners in the past must have entered into his thinking.

Hasegawa gave up only two earned runs in 16 1/3 innings before this season. He has given up four earned runs in 7 1/3 innings this season.

“I picked him because I thought he would do the best job,” Collins said.

Collins will need to make another choice for Tuesday. He could use knuckleballer Steve Sparks on three days’ rest or Jarrod Washburn, who was recalled from triple-A Edmonton Friday.

*

Washburn was 0-4 with a 5.52 ERA at Edmonton. He damaged cartilage in his right side throwing a pitch and missed seven weeks, from April 23 to June 11.

“It felt like someone stabbed me with a knife,” Washburn said. “It was the first time I have ever been on the disabled list and I was going a little crazy. They wouldn’t let me do any workouts because I might aggravate it. All I could do was fish.”

Washburn made four starts after he came off the disabled list, going at least six innings in three of them. He gave up two runs in 7 1/3 innings in his most recent start Monday.

“Actually, I was better at hitting my spots and my curve was a little better after I came back,” Washburn said.

*

Catcher Bret Hemphill made his first start Saturday, as he was assigned to Chuck Finley. The 24-year old Hemphill was 14 in 1986 when Finley broke into the major leagues.

“I grew up watching him and now I’m catching him,” said Hemphill, who played at Cal State Fullerton.

Hemphill huddled with Finley in the clubhouse before the game. It was a short conversation.

“He said, ‘Just put a sign down and if I don’t like it I’ll shake you off,’ ” Hemphill said. “So if you see a lot of shaking going on, I’m not doing very well.”

*

The Angels won five of the first six games after shortstop Gary DiSarcina’s return to the lineup last week, then lost three of four.

“The initial excitement of my return has worn off,” DiSarcina said. “Is Tim Salmon coming back soon?”

TODAY

ANGELS’

OMAR OLIVARES

(6-6, 3.39 ERA)

vs.

A’S MIKE OQUIST

(6-6, 5.53 ERA)

Oakland Coliseum, 1:30 p.m.

TV--Channel 9.

Radio--KLAC (570), XPRS (1090).

* Update--Olivares is 0-2 with a 4.91 ERA in the four games since skipping one start because of a strained left hamstring. Oquist went six innings, giving up one run and four hits, in a 3-2 victory over the Angels on April 13.