Playing Time Is Eluding Spiezio

Designated hitter Glenallen Hill was released June 1, first baseman Wally Joyner retired Saturday, and still there has been no appreciable increase in Scott Spiezio’s playing time.

“I’m past the point of wondering why,” said Spiezio, with a hint of resignation in his voice. “I’ve never been told why I’m not playing. He [Manager Mike Scioscia] has his reasons. Otherwise, I’d be in there more.”

Scioscia has rotated his DH among a handful of players this season, but Spiezio has not started there since May 24. Spiezio started at first in eight of 11 games from June 3-15, but after Joyner’s retirement, triple-A callup Larry Barnes got three consecutive starts there before Wednesday night, when Spiezio, a switch-hitter, started against Ranger left-hander Kenny Rogers.

Spiezio has started 35 of the Angels’ 69 games and has 151 at-bats, putting him on pace for 350 at-bats, which would surpass last season’s 297 at-bats. But with Mo Vaughn out for the season and no true DH, Spiezio thought he’d get a lot more at-bats than this.

Spiezio excelled in a limited role last season, batting .242 with 17 homers and 49 runs batted in, but he has had a more difficult time adjusting this season--he’s batting .245 with two homers and 15 RBIs after getting two hits, including a game-tying RBI double in the fourth inning, Wednesday night.

“If you say to yourself every time you play that you have to go four for four with two home runs to play more, it puts added pressure on you to get a hit every at-bat,” Spiezio said.

“That makes it harder. All you can do is play your game, try to have good at-bats, hope that catches someone’s eye and that one game leads to two or three. Then, maybe you’ll play four of seven, and hopefully it snowballs.”

There are no distinctive weather patterns at the Ballpark in Arlington, other than the oppressive heat and humidity, but it’s playing a lot like Wrigley Field or Pacific Bell Park this week.

A strong wind wreaked so much havoc on Rafael Palmeiro’s first-inning fly ball Tuesday night that Angel center fielder Darin Erstad, who initially thought it was a routine play to medium center, had to sprint about 90 feet to make a diving catch in shallow left-center.

“That ball had no parachute,” Erstad said. “You don’t feel the wind on the field, but as soon as the ball gets above the stadium, the wind gets it and knocks it down. I was thinking, ‘Am I so messed up that I can misread a ball that badly?’ Fortunately, I was able to get it.”

Gary DiSarcina, whose rehabilitation from last season’s major rotator-cuff surgery was interrupted by another surgery to repair a minor tear in his shoulder in May, began throwing again Tuesday. DiSarcina, who aspired to be playing in May before being shut down in spring training, has also been swinging a bat, but there is no timetable for his return. . . . Catcher Bengie Molina, recovering from a strained right hamstring, struck out three times in four at-bats for triple-A Salt Lake Tuesday night, but Scioscia said he felt good behind the plate and is on course to rejoin the Angels this weekend.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ MATT WISE (1-0, 6.43 ERA)

vs.

RANGERS’ RICK HELLING (4-7, 6.18 ERA)

The Ballpark in Arlington, Texas, 5:30 PDT

TV--Channel 9. Radio--KLAC (570), XPRS (1090).

Update--Wise, who replaced the injured Ismael Valdes in the rotation, said his primary focus at triple-A Salt Lake was to throw strikes. He succeeded--the right-hander went 6-4 with a 4.13 earned-run average in 11 starts, striking out 57 and walking only four in 65 1/3 innings. Helling, once considered capable of being a staff ace, has been a major disappointment, ranking among the top two in the league in batting average against (.330), slugging percentage against (.572) and home runs given up (18).