Percival Has Incentive to Return

Closer Troy Percival played a light game of catch Tuesday, the first time he has thrown a baseball since going on the disabled list Aug. 5, and then had a lengthy closed-door meeting with Manager Mike Scioscia and General Manager Bill Stoneman.

The game of catch was not the only topic of discussion. Scioscia and Stoneman stressed the importance of Percival being candid as he recovers from neuritis--or inflammation--of the ulnar nerve in his pitching elbow, so as not to risk a career-threatening injury.

Percival stressed his desire to return as soon as possible because his team is in the playoff hunt and he wants to be a part of it. The fact his $3.4-million option for 2001 kicks in if he finishes five more games (40 for the year) and is not on the disabled list at the end of the season could be another incentive.

“Pitchers pitch when they’re healthy,” Stoneman said. “I don’t want him to pitch if there’s any question about his health. Mike [Scioscia] has the final decision, and the doctors have to clear him, as well.”

That decision appears at least two weeks away, because it will take Percival that long to regain the arm strength and stamina necessary to pitch. The Angels don’t want him to rush it, as he did his return from winter shoulder surgery.

“I came back too early, made an adjustment to pitch more with my elbow, and that ended up causing more problems,” said Percival, whose arm slot fell from his natural three-quarter delivery to a sidearm motion. “I got to the 20-inning mark and ran out of gas. I had no strength.”

But what about those radar-gun readings, which consistently clocked Percival in the 95-mph range?

“That’s the curse of throwing hard--people think because you’re throwing hard, you can’t be hurt,” Percival said. “I can always throw hard, but I can’t locate my pitches [when there’s pain].”

Percival’s walk-to-strikeout ratio (24 to 35) supports that claim. The right-hander with a 4-5 record and 4.85 earned-run average also has nine blown saves to go with his 25 saves.

Problem is, Percival said several times throughout the season that his arm felt great. He kept the pain to himself . . . until it became too much to bear.

“The elbow is sound, there’s no structural damage,” said Percival, who had reconstructive elbow surgery seven years ago. “But when the nerve flares up, there’s a sharp pain. I’ve dealt with a lot of problems, but this one’s harder to pitch through because you don’t know when it’s going to get you.”

*

The Angels were hoping Brian Cooper would be ready to come up from triple-A Edmonton to start Saturday against the Yankees, but they were discouraged by Monday night’s game, in which Cooper gave up six runs on seven hits and walked two in five innings against Tacoma.

If Cooper is not recalled, Scioscia said he would consider starting Matt Wise on three days’ rest or starting long reliever Lou Pote and “piece mealing” the rest of the game with the bullpen.

*

Reliever Al Levine (inflamed elbow) was eligible to come off the disabled list Tuesday, but instead of being activated he threw a bullpen workout in preparation for a minor league rehabilitation appearance for double-A Erie Thursday. Scioscia said Levine will likely be activated Saturday. . . . Blue Jay pitcher Frank Castillo, diagnosed with a sprained ligament in his right elbow and strained forearm muscles, was placed on the disabled list.

TODAY

ANGELS’

SCOTT SCHOENEWEIS

(6-6, 4.92 ERA)

vs.

BLUE JAYS’

STEVE TRACHSEL

(6-11, 4.77 ERA)

SkyDome, Toronto, 9:30 a.m. PDT

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

* Update--The last time he faced the Blue Jays, Schoeneweis threw the best game of his big league career, a three-hit shutout with four strikeouts in 6-0 Angel victory April 10. Since his return from a strained rib-cage muscle, Schoeneweis has given up only 14 earned runs in 28 2/3 innings of four starts, a win, a loss and two no-decisions. Since being acquired from the Devil Rays before the July 31 trading deadline, Trachsel is 0-1 with a 7.15 ERA in two starts.