Washburn May Miss Start on Opening Day

An illness that has knocked Angel pitcher Jarrod Washburn flat on his back for three days could jeopardize the left-hander’s chances of being ready by opening day, and there is some concern Washburn may be sidelined for a few weeks.

Washburn underwent blood tests Wednesday to determine whether he has mononucleosis, an acute viral infection characterized by high temperature, sore throat and swollen lymph glands.

An initial test for mononucleosis Tuesday was negative, but Washburn said doctors wanted to do more extensive tests Wednesday to completely rule it out. Results are expected in about a week.

Washburn, who was aligned to be the Angels’ opening-day starter against the Texas Rangers on April 3, was scratched from Monday’s exhibition game against Milwaukee because of strep throat.

Angel coaches believe if Washburn sits out one more exhibition start it would hinder his chances of building up enough stamina and arm strength to open the season in the rotation.

The most Washburn has pitched is 3 2/3 innings on March 14, his third Cactus League start. Starters usually must be capable of throwing at least six innings to open the season.

Washburn’s next scheduled start is Saturday against Oakland, but the chances he’ll make that seemed remote Wednesday. Washburn missed his third day of games and workouts with a temperature in the 103-degree range.

Reached by phone at his Arizona apartment, Washburn sounded fatigued, his voice raspy. Asked if he felt as bad as he sounded, Washburn said: “Probably worse. . . . My throat is killing me, I’m tired, run down, stiff, achy. I definitely wouldn’t want any of my teammates to get this.”

The Angels begin the regular season with six games in six days at Texas and Oakland, so they will need five starters to open the season. If Washburn is not ready, Matt Wise, Brian Cooper or Tim Belcher would take his place.

If he has mononucleosis, Washburn would probably need four to six weeks of rest to allow his immune system to destroy the virus. “I’m starting to feel a little better, though I haven’t been able to eat much besides soup and apple sauce,” Washburn said. “I hope I’m not out for too long.”

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Manager Mike Scioscia said Wednesday he is leaning toward an 11-man pitching staff, which does not bode well for left-handed relievers Mark Lukaseiwicz and Rendy Espina, who have each pitched well.

Lukaseiwicz, who threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings in Wednesday’s 6-3 exhibition loss to the San Diego Padres, has a 2.70 earned-run average in 6 2/3 innings and has yielded only two hits in 22 at-bats (.091). Espina hasn’t yielded an earned run in 6 1/3 innings.

But Mike Holtz appears to have nailed down the primary left-handed relief spot in a six-man bullpen that will include Troy Percival, Shigetoshi Hasegawa, Al Levine and Ben Weber. Right-hander Mike Fyhrie appears to have the edge over Lou Pote, Lukaseiwicz and Espina for the final spot.

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If Belcher, the veteran right-hander who is scheduled to pitch today, does not make the Angel rotation, he will not be considered for the bullpen or a spot at triple-A Salt Lake City, Scioscia said. “It’s not fair or beneficial for us or him to keep him in a holding pattern,” Scioscia said. “We know where he stands and how he feels.”

Belcher, out most of 2000 because of an elbow injury, appears to be a longshot to make the rotation, and he has drawn little interest from other teams. He said earlier in camp that he probably would retire if he didn’t make the team.