Etherton May Look to Palmball in Future

Seth Etherton has been a rousing success for the Angels, taking a 4-1 record and 4.46 earned-run average into tonight’s start against the Rangers.

Wonder how much better the rookie right-hander would be if he were throwing his best pitch.

In a year and a half in the minor leagues and for most of his career at USC, Etherton’s out pitch was a palmball, which acts like a slow forkball because of the way it dives as it approaches the plate.

“It has the same arm action as a fastball,” Etherton said, “but it goes 76-78 mph and dies at the end.”

The pitch died when Etherton reached the big leagues, though. Etherton grips the palmball with his thumb and pinky, but because the seams on major league baseballs are lower than those on minor league balls, Etherton hasn’t been able to grip the ball well enough to gain command of the pitch.

Catcher Bengie Molina called for palmballs twice in a game earlier season, and the results were not satisfactory, so Etherton has stuck with his fastball, curve and changeup.

But Etherton is trying to revive the palmball. He began toying with it in his bullpen workout Tuesday and hopes to incorporate it in games.

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Angel President Tony Tavares said he would not be opposed to a rent-a-player type trade to bolster the team’s playoff hopes this season--the Angels could probably upgrade the designated hitter spot and their bench--but it will not come at the expense of the organization’s blossoming pitching talent.

“Would we rent a player? Sure. But are we going to give up a young pitcher? No way,” Tavares said.

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The Angels were concerned enough about Tim Salmon’s sore left shoulder to have him undergo an MRI test, which showed normal wear and tear but no serious problems. Salmon received a cortisone shot Monday and did not start Tuesday or Wednesday night.

The cleanup batter has been strengthening the shoulder with exercises and therapy, and he hopes to return as a DH this weekend at Oakland and as a right fielder Monday at Texas.

Salmon, who has a subpar .259 average, 18 homers and 49 runs batted in, has been bothered by the inflamed shoulder off and on for several weeks.

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Scott Schoeneweis, sidelined since June 17 because of a strained rib-cage muscle, gave up an unearned run on two hits in seven innings in a rehabilitation start for triple-A Edmonton at Oklahoma Wednesday night.

Schoeneweis struck out six and walked a batter on 79 pitches and will make at least one more minor league start before being considered for the Angel rotation.

Tonight

ANGELS’

SETH ETHERTON

(4-1, 4.46 ERA)

vs.

RANGERS’

DARREN OLIVER

(2-2, 6.66 ERA)

Edison Field, 7 p.m.

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

* Update--Etherton has not given up more than four runs in any of his seven starts, and the right-hander is coming off an excellent game against the Dodgers in which he gave up one earned run on four hits in six innings of a 6-2 victory Saturday. Oliver will be making his first big league start in more than a month. The left-hander went on the disabled list because of weakness in his throwing shoulder after a June 16 loss.

* Tickets: (714) 663-9000