Tempe Conditions Put Erstad to Test

Straight-away center field in Tempe Diablo Stadium is a deep 420 feet from home plate. The sun for Cactus League games is straight overhead and reflects off the silver seats behind the backstop. Even with sunglasses, catching fly balls in the bright Arizona sky can be an adventure.

It would be difficult to create more demanding conditions in which to play the outfield . . . and Darin Erstad couldn’t be happier. He is switching from left field to center this season, and he loves the challenges he’s facing.

“If you can play center field here, you can play it anywhere,” he said. “The sun is on top of you, the gaps are huge, it’s really conducive to working on all of the elements you’ll find in big league parks.”

The transition has been pretty smooth for Erstad, who has had some trouble picking up low line drives in the silver seats but also has made several nice plays, including a diving catch of Geoff Jenkins’ drive to the left-center field gap in Monday’s 5-4 exhibition loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Erstad moved from the outfield to first base in 1997, so he does not anticipate the move from left to center being very difficult.

“I don’t even think twice about it,” said Erstad, who is batting .344 this spring. “It would be a bigger adjustment playing with new people, but I know who’s out there and what the other outfielders [Tim Salmon and Garret Anderson] can do. That makes it a lot easier.”

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Left-hander Jarrod Washburn was scratched from Monday’s start against the Brewers because of strep throat, giving right-hander Matt Wise a chance to make an impression on the Angel coaching staff.

The former Cal State Fullerton standout gave up one run on five hits in three innings, but it probably won’t help his chances. The Angel rotation appears set with Washburn, Pat Rapp, Ramon Ortiz, Scott Schoeneweis and Ismael Valdes, so Wise, who went 3-3 with a 5.54 earned-run average in eight major league games last season, appears ticketed for triple-A Salt Lake City.

“I haven’t given up hope until they tell me,” Wise, 25, said. “Obviously, [going to triple A] is in the back of my mind. It would be tough going there if I looked at it as a slap in the face, but I know I’m not going to be perfect right away. I’m still developing.”

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Jose Canseco, sidelined because of several nagging injuries, played Monday for the first time since March 9, hitting a single in his first at-bat before flying out and striking out. Though his back, hamstring and shoulder were packed in ice afterward, he said he felt good. “My timing is a little off, but I had some good swings,” he said. . . . Salmon, out since March 10 because of an abdominal strain, took batting practice and ran at about 75% Monday. He hopes to return by the end of this week.