Spiezio Not Quite Up to Standards Set by Glaus

Scott Spiezio was on the field, glove on hand, poised to take over at third base in the second inning Sunday while Manager Mike Scioscia and trainers tended to the fallen Troy Glaus, who suffered an injury when he knocked knees with Arizona first baseman Greg Colbrunn.

This was very bad for the Angels. Of all their regulars, Glaus may be the one the Angels can least afford to lose, because the drop-off to his replacement would be a fall of Grand Canyon-like proportions.

Glaus is batting .327 with a team-high 18 homers and 20 doubles, and 42 runs batted in. He has a team-leading .664 slugging percentage and .449 on-base percentage. Though he has 13 errors, he saves several runs a week with his defense.

Spiezio is an average defender who can’t come close to matching Glaus’ range. He’s batting .239 with six homers and 19 RBIs, so it would be asking far too much of him to replace Glaus’ offensive production.

But just when the Angels began contemplating life without Glaus, he got up and returned to third base, where he remained for the rest of the afternoon. His diagnosis: a bruised knee.

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Tim Belcher, who pitched six innings in a rehabilitation start for triple-A Edmonton on Saturday night, has been penciled in for Saturday’s game at Baltimore.

As long as the veteran right-hander has no problems in a bullpen workout this week, he will make his first Angel appearance this weekend.

“I’m done with my barnstorming tour,” said Belcher, who rejoined the Angels Sunday after making three starts for Edmonton and two for Class-A Lake Elsinore in two rehab stints. “I’m ready to go.”

Belcher underwent elbow surgery last November.

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Jason Dickson, sidelined since May 15 because of a sore shoulder and tendinitis in his left hip, made his first minor-league rehab start Sunday, giving up one earned run and five hits, striking out two and walking one for Edmonton against Sacramento.

Ken Hill, whose fastball was clocked at 94 mph in Saturday’s rehab start for Class-A Lake Elsinore, will make at least two more minor-league appearances, most likely moving to Edmonton, before returning from the strained rib-cage muscle that has sidelined him since May 10.

Reliever Mark Petkovsek, who has been sidelined since May 17 because of a viral syndrome, will be activated for Tuesday’s game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The Angels optioned reliever Eric Weaver to Edmonton after Sunday’s game to make room for Petkovsek on the roster.