Valdes Injures His Pitching Hand

Pitcher Ismael Valdes was hoping to put the past behind him, but instead it came back to haunt him.

Valdes, who has a history of blister problems on his fingers, was put on the 15-day disabled list Thursday, retroactive to March 29, because of a split fingernail on the middle finger of his pitching hand, pushing his Angel debut back by a week or so.

The Angels recalled Steve Green from triple-A Salt Lake, and the right-hander will make his major league debut against A’s ace Tim Hudson Saturday in Oakland.

Green split 2000 between double-A Erie and triple-A Edmonton, going 7-4 with a 3.40 earned-run average at Erie and 0-4 with a 7.29 ERA at Edmonton.

Valdes, the former Dodger whose mental toughness has been questioned in the past, went 0-2 with a 9.58 ERA in five spring-training appearances, and opposing batters hit .441 against him.

Valdes suffered the injury late in spring training and expects to miss only one start.

*

Manager Mike Scioscia didn’t single anyone out Wednesday when he said some players were “trying too hard,” but it was obvious Glenallen Hill was one of them. The new Angel designated hitter was hitless in eight at-bats with three strikeouts and two double plays in the first two games and swung at several pitches outside the strike zone.

“It’s like I’m seeing five balls at once,” Hill said. Which one was he hitting? “None.”

Hill struck out in his first at-bat Thursday but broke through with a single in the fourth and a blistering liner off pitcher Ryan Glynn’s right shoulder for a single in the sixth. That hit knocked Glynn out of the game.

*

When Darin Erstad took a called third strike, a pitch that appeared to be several inches off the outside corner, in the fourth inning of Wednesday night’s 7-3 loss to the Rangers, he barked something at home-plate umpire Mike Winters before heading back to the dugout.

How rare was that? “It was only the second time in my life I’ve ever said anything to an umpire,” Erstad said. “The last time was in 1999, when I took a third strike with the bases loaded and two outs. But you know what? [The umps] are not perfect, and we’re not perfect. That’s baseball.”

*

Tim Salmon and seafood were not a good mix Thursday. The Angel right fielder came down with food poisoning and had to be pulled from the starting lineup against the Rangers. He is expected back tonight. . . . Second baseman Adam Kennedy, recovering from a broken bone in his right hand, hit soft toss for the second day in a row Thursday and should begin batting practice today. He could begin a minor-league rehabilitation assignment early next week.

ON DECK

* Opponent--Oakland Athletics, three games.

* Site--Network Associates Coliseum, Oakland.

* Tonight--7.

* TV--Channel 9 Sunday.

* Radio--KMXN-FM (94.3), XPRS (1090).

* Records--Angels 1-2, Athletics 1-2.

* 2000 record vs. Athletics--5-8.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’

MATT WISE

(3-3, 5.54 ERA in 2000)

vs.

ATHLETICS’

MARK MULDER

(9-10, 5.44 ERA)

* Update--Wise, the young right-hander from La Verne Bonita High and Cal State Fullerton, is filling in for Jarrod Washburn while the left-hander recovers from strep throat. Washburn will make a triple-A start Sunday and is expected to rejoin the team later next week, but with Valdes going on the disabled list, Wise could make one or two starts before going to the minor leagues. Oakland’s bullpen is expected to be a strength, but A’s relievers have gotten off to a rocky start, combining to give up 10 earned runs in seven innings of the first three games for a 12.86 ERA.

* Saturday, 1 p.m.--Steve Green (major league debut) vs. Tim Hudson (0-0, 3.60).

* Sunday, 1 p.m.--Scott Shoeneweis (0-1, 3.86) vs. Barry Zito (1-0, 0.00).