Scioscia Stresses Little Ball in Session

The Angels realize their offense cannot live by the home run alone, especially with Mo Vaughn sidelined for the season. Manager Mike Scioscia personally supervised a bunting practice Thursday for David Eckstein, Adam Kennedy and Orlando Palmeiro, encouraging each player to bunt for hits more often.

Eckstein and Palmeiro share the leadoff spot, but the advice could be most helpful to Kennedy, whose reluctance to take walks limits his ability to reach base. Kennedy’s on-base percentage of .300 last season was the lowest among Angel regulars.

“I’m not exactly a speed guy, but if you lay a good bunt down, you don’t have to have blazing speed to beat it out,” Kennedy said. “I need to start doing it.”

*

Derrick Turnbow confirmed that he will undergo surgery to repair his fractured right forearm. He said doctors feared that simply placing the arm in a cast and allowing natural healing might lead to muscular atrophy that could increase the risk of another fracture upon his return.

Turnbow, 23, one of the Angels’ top pitching prospects, pitched only 38 innings last season because the team had to keep him on the major league roster or risk losing him. He pitched 14 innings at double-A Arkansas this season before his injury, so he has essentially lost two years of development.

“I felt like I was just starting to learn how to really pitch, just starting to feel comfortable with everything I learned in the big leagues,” he said. “It’s been kind of disappointing. This is going to set me back a little while.”

*

The Angels optioned infielder Jose Fernandez to triple-A Salt Lake and recalled infielder Jose Nieves. Fernandez was hitless in eight at-bats with the Angels; Nieves hit .365 in 17 games at Salt Lake.

ON DECK

* Opponent--Detroit Tigers, three games.

* Site--Edison Field.

* Tonight--7.

* TV--Fox Sports Net, all three games.

* Radio--KLAC (570) tonight and Saturday; KMXN (94.3) and KMPC (1540) Sunday; XPRS (1090) all three games.

* Records--Angels 13-15, Tigers 11-15.

* Record vs. Tigers (last season)--5-5.

* Tickets--(714) 663-9000.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’

SCOTT SCHOENEWEIS

(2-2, 2.91 ERA)

vs.

TIGERS’

MATT PERISHO

(0-2, 9.42 ERA)

* Update--Ramon Ortiz, pushed back from his scheduled Thursday start after suffering a sprained right ankle in his previous start, worked out without pain and said he would start as planned Saturday. Designated hitter Glenallen Hill, on the disabled list since April 22 because of a strained oblique muscle, has resumed batting practice. Scioscia said Hill was at least a week away from returning and said the Angels have not decided whether to ask Hill to take a minor league rehabilitation assignment. Hill said he did not believe he needed one.

* Saturday, 7 p.m.--Ramon Ortiz (3-2, 3.86 ERA) vs. Jeff Weaver (2-4, 4.36 ERA).

* Sunday, 1 p.m.--Pat Rapp (1-3, 6.37 ERA) vs. Steve Sparks (1-2, 3.34 ERA).