Percival Not Sharp in Minors

Angel closer Troy Percival threw without pain, but also without control Tuesday night in a one-inning rehabilitation assignment with the Class-A Lake Elsinore Storm. It was Percival’s first appearance since he went on the disabled list Aug. 5 because of tendinitis in his pitching elbow.

Based on his performance, Percival said he needs another outing before he can help the Angels in their playoff drive. Percival, who gave up one run, one hit and a walk, said he would like to pitch again today or Thursday in Lake Elsinore so he can rejoin the Angels on Friday night in Anaheim against Cleveland.

“I didn’t throw very many pitches where I wanted them to go,” Percival said. “ My breaking ball wasn’t very good, command-wise. The arm strength is going to be there because I let a couple loose and it was pretty good velocity-wise.”

Gary Sutherland, special assistant to General Manager Bill Stoneman, said Percival earned a passing grade.

“He was throwing freely, and that’s good sign,” Sutherland said. “He could have been a little sharper. But when you don’t pitch for three weeks, that happens.”

Percival’s fastball was clocked at 95-96 mph, but he said he left too many of them over the middle of the plate. He threw 15 pitches and had one strikeout. Since going on the disabled list after giving up a game-winning homer to Jim Thome in Cleveland, Percival has thrown all-out only once, and that was two days ago.

“I was just trying to hit spots and I wasn’t doing that,” he said. “I’ve got to get myself acclimated again out there. They don’t want me to come back out there and start walking people. So I’m going to work on a couple things while I’m here.”

If he pitches Friday against his arch-nemesis, Cleveland, Percival said he expects to be used as a closer. “I’ve been doing this long enough, I don’t need to ease myself back into the role,” he said. “The most important thing is to get those other two guys, Mark Petkovsek and Shigetoshi Hasegawa, back into their normal role.”

Percival said he is not rushing back so he can finish five more games, which would activate the $3.4-million option year of his contract in 2001. “That weighed on my mind at one point,” he said. “But now, it’s more important for me to get out there and help this team get to the playoffs. What’s going to happen next year will take care of itself.”