Collins Tries to Find Hill’s Rhythm

Manager Terry Collins will massage his starting rotation this week in an effort to get Ken Hill into a rhythm.

“We need something to get Ken Hill going,” Collins said. “Sometimes he has thrown on four days’ rest, sometimes on five days’ rest. We need to get him in a pattern.”

To do that, Collins will have to skip one pitcher at least one start, with struggling knuckleballer Steve Sparks the likely candidate. Sparks, scheduled to pitch Friday against Kansas City, has given up 15 earned runs in his last 12 innings, covering three starts.

Hill will start Thursday against Baltimore and Chuck Finley is scheduled to start Saturday.

Because of off days, Hill has pitched four times on five days’ rest, going at least seven innings in three of them. But his control has been a problem all season, as he has 41 walks in 51 1/3 innings.

“A couple other pitchers can benefit from the this, Chuck and Omar [Olivares]” Collins said. “When Omar gets too much rest, he gets too strong. That’s not always good for a sinkerball pitcher.”

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Injured outfielder Tim Salmon got reacquainted with his teammates in the clubhouse Tuesday, but could do nothing but watch once the game began. Salmon has been out since suffering a sprained left wrist while trying a sliding catch on May 3 against the Chicago White Sox.

Salmon said he will be reexamined near the end of the home stand and only then will doctors have an idea when he can begin rehabilitation.

“It’s not the type of injury where I can tell if it’s getting better,” Salmon said. “Right now, I can’t feel anything in there. I won’t know what I can do until they take a look at it.”

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Few may have noticed--especially opposing pitchers, it seems--but second baseman Randy Velarde has already matched his career high with seven stolen bases.

That Velarde bats in front of Mo Vaughn has helped him catch pitchers napping.

“When you have someone like Mo Vaughn up there, you need to give him all the attention you can,” Velarde said. “I’m not a burner out there, but I’m not a mule either. I will run if you totally forget about me.”

It paid off for the Angels in the 10th inning Sunday against Tampa Bay. Velarde took off from first and Vaughn singled through the left side of the infield, when shortstop Kevin Stocker went to cover second. It started a four-run inning in a 4-0 victory.

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Vaughn, limited to designated hitter since May 11 because of a sprained ankle, began taking ground balls at first base Tuesday. The target date for his return to the field is June 4 against the Dodgers. It’s the Angels’ first interleague game on the road, and there will be no designated hitter.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ TIM BELCHER (3-3, 8.23 ERA)

vs.

ORIOLES’ SIDNEY PONSON (4-3, 4.53 ERA)

Edison Field, 7:30 p.m.

TV--Fox Sports West. Radio--KLAC (570), XPRS (1090)

* Update--Darin Erstad showed some signs of shaking loose from his slump. He had six hits in the last four games before Tuesday. He homered in the eight Tuesday, his first extra-base hit since May 9. “I don’t worry about him,” Collins said. “If you worry about the Darin Erstads of the world, you’re asking for some brain cramps because it’s going to give you a headache.” Baltimore catcher Charles Johnson, traded by the Dodgers to the Mets and then to the Orioles in a three-way deal during the off-season, has played in 18 consecutive games, hitting .314 with nine home runs and 18 RBIs in that time.

* Tickets--(714) 663-9000.