Is Glaus Snowed Under?

The Angels might be on the verge of sending third baseman Troy Glaus, who hit his first home run in a month Saturday, to triple-A Edmonton.

Glaus’ sizzling April and fizzling May bear an eerie statistical resemblance to the start of first baseman J.T. Snow in 1993. Glaus, on his first opening-day roster, hit .359 with five home runs and 16 runs batted in through April 29. Snow, also on his first opening day roster in 1993, hit .365 with six homers and 17 RBI through April 29.

From April 30-May 29, however, Snow hit .112 with four homers and 11 RBI, and the Angels eventually sent him to triple A for a few weeks. This year, from April 30-May 29, Glaus also hit .112 with one homer and five RBIs. He also struck out 28 times in 24 games.

Rod Carew, the Angel hitting coach then and now, said he saw “a lot of similarities” between the struggles of Snow and Glaus.

“I think it’s more mental than it is physical,” Carew said of Glaus. “He’s still got a lot of growing to do. He’s still young. He’s still learning.”

Glaus, 22, played in only 106 minor league games before the Angels promoted him last July. While the Angels appreciate his defensive ability, they are a last-place team expected to contend, and they may not be able to afford to keep a developing hitter in a lineup already weakened by injuries to Jim Edmonds and Tim Salmon.

For the first time this season, Glaus batted eighth Saturday.

“We have to make sure he stays sharp and confident,” Manager Terry Collins said. “There’s a lot of examples of players who have gotten to the big leagues in a hurry, struggled, and then you never hear from them again.

“I will not let that happen with this guy.”

*

Second baseman Randy Velarde, 36, set a career high with his eighth stolen base. . . . The Angels released outfielder Gus Kennedy, acquired with infielder Andy Sheets in the spring trade that sent catcher Phil Nevin and minor league pitcher Keith Volkman to the San Diego Padres. Kennedy, 25, hit .204 in 29 games at Class-A Lake Elsinore. . . . Ramon Ortiz, the Angels’ top pitching prospect, beat Gil Meche, the Seattle Mariners’ top pitching prospect, in a double-A game Friday at Erie, Pa. Ortiz, 23, pitched eight innings and struck out nine in a 3-1 victory.

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Three hours before game time, while the Angels took batting practice in a largely empty stadium, a huge cheer erupted from the club level.

Brian and Nancy Lambertsen of Palm Desert had just been pronounced husband and wife, in the first game-day wedding at Edison Field.

“Our first date was here,” the bride said.

The bride and groom walked down an aisle lined with peanut shells instead of the traditional rose petals, and hors d’oeuvres included Cracker Jack.

(Relax, Martha Stewart. A traditional reception followed in a stadium restaurant.)

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ OMAR OLIVARES (5-3, 3.02 ERA)

vs.

ROYALS’ JOSE ROSADO (3-3, 2.33)

Edison Field, 5 p.m.

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

* Update--Rosado ranks third and Olivares sixth in earned-run average among American League pitchers. Rosado has pitched against the Angels eight times and never lost. In Anaheim, Rosado is 2-0 with a 2.37 ERA.

* Tickets--(714) 663-9000.