Percival, Etherton on Disabled List

That’s a total of four pitchers gone in seven days for the Angels, who hardly had them to spare.

Closer Troy Percival and starter Seth Etherton went to the disabled list Saturday, Percival because of inflammation in his right elbow and Etherton because of a tired right arm.

Al Levine, second in the American League in relief innings, already is on the disabled list because of a sore elbow, and Kent Bottenfield was traded to Philadelphia a week ago for Ron Gant.

Just this week Percival playfully chided Levine for getting hurt as the club entered the most demanding part of its schedule. Saturday morning, the clubhouse telephone rang. It was Levine, for Percival, who chuckled in spite of the circumstances.

Percival, who seven years ago had surgery to repair a torn elbow ligament, will undergo tests Monday to determine the cause of the pain and swelling. He predicted there would be no structural damage.

“I think I stopped it in time,” he said.

*

The Angels were concerned enough about Etherton this week to order X-rays on his ailing right shoulder. Taken Tuesday, they were negative.

In his third professional season, Etherton said his arm is feeling the impact of too many pitches in the last year. He hit bottom Friday night, when he gave up 10 hits and eight runs in 2 2/3 innings. He threw 78 pitches; Indian batters swung and missed at only five.

Etherton, whose fastball barely reached the mid-80s, said he never felt so defenseless on a mound.

“It was to the point where I was hopefully going to hit my spots,” Etherton said. “There’s nothing on it. Against a club like that. I couldn’t do anything about it.”

*

Right-hander Lou Pote was recalled from triple-A Edmonton. While that was good news for Pote, it sort of fouled up the most important day of his life.

Pote was supposed to be married Saturday afternoon in Las Vegas, where Edmonton was playing a four-game series. In the sixth inning Friday, however, Pote was told that he had been promoted, and that he would leave in the morning.

“We’re here,” Pote told his future wife, Erin. “We might as well do it.”

So, at midnight, the couple was married at the Silver Bells Chapel on the Las Vegas Strip. Six-and-a-half hours later, Pote boarded a flight for Cleveland.

“It’s where you want to be,” Pote said.

*

Along with Pote, left-hander Juan Alvarez was recalled from Edmonton.

Right-hander Shigetoshi Hasegawa will serve as the primary closer, and Mark Petkovsek, Mike Fyhrie and Levine, when he comes off the disabled list, will pitch deeper in games.

Hasegawa has not given up an earned run in 22 1/3 innings over 13 appearances.

*

Left-hander Jarrod Washburn will be activated from the disabled list in time to start against Boston on Monday night at Edison Field.

The Red Sox, who are undecided on Monday’s starter, will start Pedro Martinez on Tuesday and Jeff Fassero on Wednesday.

For the Angels, Ken Hill will pitch Tuesday on extra rest. Rookie Matt Wise will make his first big-league start Wednesday.

*

Mo Vaughn, who continued to experience soreness in his left biceps, did not take batting practice and did not start Saturday.

When Manager Mike Scioscia told Vaughn to rest, Vaughn did not protest.

“If he was fine,” Scioscia said, “he’d be in there today.”

Vaughn, who struck out for Gant with none on and one out in the eighth inning, is expected to play today.

TODAY

ANGELS’ BRIAN COOPER

(4-6, 5.22 ERA)

vs.

INDIANS’ BARTOLO COLON

(9-8, 4.49 ERA)

Jacobs Field, 10 a.m. PDT

TV--Channel 9. Radio--KLAC (570), XPRS (1090).

* Update--Cooper has lost three of four starts and has only two wins since May 28. He was 1-3 with a 9.64 earned-run average in July, then gave up five earned runs in 6 1/3 innings to Detroit on Tuesday. After not allowing a home run for four starts, Cooper has given up eight in his last five starts. Colon, whose ERA has been well above 4.00 every month, has lost three consecutive starts. He has 63 walks in 114 1/3 innings.