Schoeneweis Is Happy to Be Back

Scott Schoeneweis easily handled the physical rehabilitation from the injury. After all, the Angel left-hander came back from testicular cancer and reconstructive elbow surgery in college; what was a little strained rib-cage muscle?

It was the mental anguish of being sidelined for five weeks that Schoeneweis found difficult to cope with.

“I was deemed ‘Mr. Useless,’ ” said Schoeneweis, who will come off the disabled list to start Wednesday against Texas. “I couldn’t even shag balls during batting practice. I was not a part of the team. When I came back, the guys started talking to me. It was understandable, but that was hard.”

Schoeneweis did not have to look far for inspiration during his absence. Just a few lockers down in the Edison Field clubhouse is pitcher Tim Belcher, who has been sidelined for most of the season because of an elbow injury.

“I just watched him every day,” Schoeneweis said. “For the last year and a half, no one has worked as hard as him. He’s 38, and he’s not quitting. He might not talk about it much, but I respect that. I’ll be proud of myself if I’m anywhere near that when I’m 38 years old.”

Schoeneweis went 5-5 with a 5.08 earned-run average in 14 starts before suffering his injury against Baltimore on June 16, but he believes he actually hurt himself in his previous start, when he was batting during an interleague game at Arizona.

There was some speculation the Angels, who have received outstanding starting pitching for most of July, would have trouble finding a spot for Schoeneweis, but Jarrod Washburn went on the DL because of a strained biceps Sunday, creating a vacancy.

“I figured they’d make room for me somehow,” Schoeneweis said. “I felt in my first 14 starts, I threw the ball pretty well.”

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Right-hander Kent Bottenfield was confident he had put a sluggish first half behind him when he gave up only 10 runs and 21 hits in 21 1/3 innings of his last three starts, from July 9-19.

But Monday night was definitely a step backward. Bottenfield gave up five runs and eight hits--including three home runs--in 5 2/3 innings against the Rangers, and he has now given up 25 homers, third-most in the American League.

Texas took an early lead in the first when Rusty Greer reached on an infield single and Rafael Palmeiro lofted a high fly ball over the right-field wall, just out of the reach of leaping outfielder Tim Salmon, for his 25th homer.

Shortstop Kevin Stocker’s outstanding stab of David Segui’s grounder up the middle with the bases loaded and two out in the third got Bottenfield out of a jam, but Gabe Kapler homered in the fourth to break a 2-2 tie, Segui homered in the sixth, and Luis Alicea’s RBI single made the score 5-2 Rangers.

The Angels scored in the first on Darin Erstad’s leadoff triple and Stocker’s RBI single, and Salmon homered in the fourth, his 19th of the season and first since July 6.

The Angels took Bottenfield off the hook with a three-run ninth off Ranger closer John Wetteland, as Bengie Molina knocked in a run with a double and Scott Spiezio hit a score-tying, two-run homer.

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Angel prospect Ramon Ortiz continues to pitch well for triple-A Edmonton. The right-hander gave up only three hits and struck out 11 in eight innings of the Trappers’ 1-0 loss to New Orleans on Sunday and is now 6-4 with a 4.09 ERA in 13 games. . . . To replace Ivan Rodriguez on the roster, the Rangers recalled catcher B.J. Waszgis from triple-A Oklahoma City. Waszgis has not played in the big leagues.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ SETH ETHERTON (5-1, 3.97 ERA) vs. RANGERS’ DARREN OLIVER (2-5, 6.58 ERA)

The Ballpark in Arlington, Texas, 5:30 PDT.

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

* Update--Superb starting pitching played a huge role in the Angels winning 10 of 13 games from July 6-21, but Etherton, the rookie right-hander, will attempt to end a string of three consecutive subpar starts, by Brian Cooper, Ken Hill and Kent Bottenfield. In Oliver, the Angels will be facing their fourth consecutive left-handed starter. The Angels roughed up Oliver for four runs and seven hits in five innings of a 6-1 victory Thursday in Anaheim.