Finley’s Back Spasms Cause Concern; MRI Ordered

They’re three letters a manager hates to hear, especially when they’re used in the same sentence with your ace pitcher: Chuck Finley, who has been extremely limited this spring because of upper-back spasms, will undergo an MRI--a magnetic resonance imaging test--today on his neck.

Team physician Lewis Yocum said Finley could have an irritated joint or nerve that is referring pain to his left shoulder, a condition that has prevented Finley from throwing off a mound for seven days and could jeopardize his opening-day start.

“Dr. Yocum is so good that if he isn’t sure what this is, it’s definitely a concern,” Manager Terry Collins said. “More than anything, this is a precaution.”

Finley has had spasms since the beginning of camp, but because he overcame similar problems in the past, he showed little concern. But he may have come back too soon this spring and aggravated the condition.

“Chuck has had this before, but my concern is this is something new and different,” Yocum said. “I want to get as much information as we can and make a decision. If it’s an irritated joint or nerve, we can change his medication and therapy. I don’t want him throwing until we know it’s safe.”

Collins believes Finley needs enough endurance to throw 75 pitches to open with the Angels. But if the 36-year-old left-hander is unable to do that, he may have to make a few rehabilitation starts before joining the Angels. Collins would prefer his starters be able to throw 90-100 pitches.

“If Chuck can throw 75 pitches in his first start, I would bring him to Anaheim,” Collins said. “We just may have to consider carrying an extra guy in the bullpen until he was ready to throw 100 pitches.”

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First baseman Mo Vaughn, who has tightness in his hamstrings, and third baseman Dave Hollins, who has a sore arm, were scratched from Sunday’s Cactus League game against Oakland.

With temperatures dipping into the low 50s and a rain shower wetting the Tempe Diablo Stadium field before the game, Collins did not want to risk serious injury.

Designated hitter Tim Salmon had two-run homer and a two-run single, shortstop Jeff Huson had two hits and two RBIs, and second baseman Keith Luuloa knocked in Steve Decker with a single in the bottom of the 10th to give the Angels a 9-8 victory, their first win in three spring games.

The bad news: Tim Belcher was roughed up in 2 2/3 innings in his Angel spring debut, giving up five runs on four hits, including Olmedo Saenz’s three-run homer.

“The beauty of spring training is the more you look at your outing, the more positives you find because it doesn’t count,” Belcher, 37, said. “The flip side is you have professional pride, and with a new team, you want to make a good first impression. . . . But physically I felt really good. The ball is jumping out of my hand a lot better than it did last week.”

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Justin Baughman, who broke his leg in five places in a Mexican Winter League game last November, had hoped to return to action this month, but the speedy second baseman has not even been cleared to jog. “It’s just not healing as fast as they anticipated,” Collins said. “We’re going to take it slow with this kid.” . . . Jim Edmonds and Chris Pritchett each had two hits Sunday, and relievers Rich DeLucia, Toby Borland, Darrin Winston, Mike Fyhrie and Geoff Edsell each threw scoreless innings.