Vaughn Is Sight for Sore Left Eye

And the Angels thought the roof caved in on them last season.

Mo Vaughn did not play or practice Wednesday because of an abrasion on his left cornea, according to club officials, an injury sustained when the leaky ceiling in his aunt’s house gave way.

According to team officials, a small piece of the ceiling lodged in Vaughn’s eye Tuesday night, he rubbed it, and he arrived at Diablo Stadium on Wednesday morning with a painful, red, watery eye. Vaughn, who limped around for most of his first season as an Angel after he tumbled down dugout stairs on opening night, should be available to play today.

Dr. Bertam Matsumoto examined Vaughn, prescribed eye drops, and sent him home.

The injury is not considered serious.

But these are the Angels. Hitting fungoes wasn’t supposed to be dangerous either.

“We’re meeting that curse head on,” Manager Mike Scioscia said, grinning. “It’s not going to stop us. We’re not going to let a little drywall stop us this year.”

Scioscia joked that Vaughn would be equipped with special, protective eyewear for use away from the ballpark.

“He’ll be fine,” Scioscia said.

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There was more concern Wednesday for left-hander Jarrod Washburn, whose maturation into a big-league pitcher is considered by many to be critical for the pitching-thin Angels. He strained a muscle in his left side and will be sidelined a minimum of one spring appearance.

X-rays and a bone scan were normal, and an MRI confirmed the strain. He is to be reexamined today by Dr. Lewis Yocum.

There is no timetable for his return.

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Ken Hill, the club’s opening day starter, pitched three perfect innings and the Angels defeated the Colorado Rockies, 6-3, in a split-squad game at Diablo Stadium.

Jim Edmonds and Garret Anderson homered.

Before the game, team President Tony Tavares spoke at length with Edmonds, trade bait for the better part of five months, and came away feeling enthused about the club’s immediate future.

He said Edmonds told him it was, “a camp of inclusion,” and that Scioscia and his staff amounted to “a breath of fresh air blowing through the room.”

This from a guy being shopped all over baseball.

“I think it’s even more telling because of that,” Tavares said. “Here’s a guy that could easily be taking a different tack.”

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The trade talks continue, and the Angels had the choice of playing Edmonds in front of the Rockies or the Oakland A’s, a showcase in either case. Anderson also has drawn interest.

“As of right now . . . no one has offered us what is close to being reasonable,” he said of trades that have been proposed for Edmonds or Anderson. “You would in fact be better off taking a compensatory pick. I know. I am wide-eyed. I see it. I know how risky taking a draft pick is. That speaks to the quality of the deals being offered.

“We are not desperately seeking to trade one of these guys. We are seeking to exchange quality for quality, if we can get it in an area where we need help in. But we’re not going to go out there and do something stupid.”

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Jeff DaVanon has a torn left labrum, according to Yocum, who examined the reserve outfielder in Los Angeles. Treatment has not been determined, though surgery is an option. DaVanon, in a battle with Orlando Palmeiro and Mike Colangelo for the last outfield spot, suffered the injury diving for a ball Friday. . . . Ramon Ortiz gave up one run--an opposite-field home run by John Jaha--in three innings in a 7-2 loss to the A’s in Phoenix. Ortiz has given up one run in five innings. . . . Right-hander Jason Dickson followed Ortiz and allowed six hits and three runs in three innings. . . . Season-ticket sales are down about 17% from the same time last year, according to Tavares.