DiSarcina Won’t Return Until May, at Earliest

Any hopes Gary DiSarcina had of opening the season with the Angels were dashed Monday when Manager Mike Scioscia and General Manager Bill Stoneman confirmed that the shortstop won’t be ready to return from rotator-cuff surgery until May, at the earliest.

“I’d welcome a pleasant surprise, but we’d be smarter to take a safer course and let Gary work his way into this,” Stoneman said. “We’d rather be cautious than aggressive.”

DiSarcina, who has sat out most of the last two seasons because of injuries, had shoulder surgery last May, a procedure that usually requires a 12-month recovery period.

He has been throwing regularly for several months and has participated in some winter workouts, but the 33-year-old will need most of spring training to rehabilitate. DiSarcina is signed to a $320,000 contract with incentives that can pay an additional $2.25 million, depending on how much he plays.

“He’s ahead of schedule, but there’s still some hurdles to clear,” Scioscia said. “His stamina is coming and his strength is building . . . but he’s not throwing 100% and hasn’t made throws from the hole.”

With DiSarcina sidelined, Benji Gil, who split time at shortstop with Kevin Stocker last season, and Wilmy Caceres, a 22-year-old acquired from Cincinnati for pitcher Seth Etherton this winter, will be the top candidates for the job in spring training, with Justin Baughman and David Lamb considered longshots.