Joyner Trying to Get Swing of It

In his first 15 big league seasons, Angel first baseman Wally Joyner was ejected once. In the past three weeks, Joyner has been ejected twice, a measure of his frustration with a strike zone he believes has been as shifty as the winds above Pacific Bell Park.

One game pitches several inches off the plate are called strikes. Some games the new high strike is enforced; other nights it seems to be ignored.

Joyner has looked indecisive at the plate, almost as if he’s trying to figure out the strike zone along with the umpires. But when asked if this confusion has had something to do with his current two-for-28 skid, Joyner refused to blame the umps.

“I think I’m in a slump,” said Joyner, whose average has dropped from .284 on May 26 to .243 after Tuesday night’s game against the Giants.

“I’m not being selective at the plate early in the count. I’m not allowing myself to get deep into the count for numerous reasons. I need to forget all of them and play my game.”

Set-up man Shigetoshi Hasegawa, out since May 24 because of a slight tear in the rotator cuff of his throwing shoulder, threw fastballs for 10 minutes off a bullpen mound Tuesday and reported no pain.

Hasegawa’s next step will be to add breaking balls to his bullpen workout Friday. If that goes well, Hasegawa will throw live batting practice once or twice and a simulated game or two before beginning a minor league rehabilitation assignment.

But that final step before returning to the Angels--pitching in the minor leagues--won’t begin for at least two weeks, putting Hasegawa’s return to Anaheim, barring any setbacks, at around early July.

“I’m surprised it’s taking this long, but that’s the trainers’ decision,” Hasegawa said. “I still feel a little weak. If I came back faster, I might break my arm, so this will be a good decision.”

Bengie Molina’s return to the Angels will be pushed back by a week or so because of the death of the catcher’s grandmother. Both Molina and his brother, catcher Jose Molina, returned to their native Puerto Rico Monday to be with their family.

Bengie Molina had begun a rehabilitation assignment at Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Saturday and was scheduled to play Monday, tonight and Thursday before joining the Angels in Anaheim Friday.

But Molina is not expected back from Puerto Rico until Friday, so he won’t be able to resume his rehab stint until Saturday.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’

SCOTT SCHOENEWEIS

(6-3, 3.92 ERA)

vs.

GIANTS’

RUSS ORTIZ

(7-4, 4.04 ERA)

Pacific Bell Park, 7

TV--Fox Sports Net. Radio--KMPC (1540), KMXN (94.3 FM), XPRS (1090).

Update--Since giving up a franchise record 11 runs in four innings against the Orioles on May 23, Schoeneweis has given up only six earned runs and 17 hits in 22 1/3 innings of his last three starts, wins over Tampa Bay, Kansas City and Oakland. Ortiz is tied for fifth in the National League in wins, but the right-hander has struggled in his last five starts, going 1-3 with a 6.58 earned-run average. Ortiz lasted only 1 2/3 innings in his last start, a 10-7 loss to the Padres on Thursday.