‘Prime-Time’ Wooten Basks in Cleanup Role

Somewhere along his long and winding road to the major leagues--one that covered two countries, eight seasons and 10 minor league teams--Shawn Wooten was pulled aside by a minor league manager.

“I was told I would never hit in the fourth hole,” Wooten said.

Wooten wouldn’t say who that minor league manager was, but here’s hoping he was watching television Sunday. On a national ESPN broadcast, Wooten was a major league cleanup hitter, at least for a day.

Angel Manager Mike Scioscia was taking advantage of his hottest bat against left-handed pitching, and Wooten could be back on the bench Tuesday. Wooten said he’d be happy hitting anywhere in the lineup, but he laughed as he thought of the reaction of casual fans across America flipping on ESPN and wondering who the heck the Angel cleanup hitter was.

“Wooten--that’s not a household name, that’s for sure,” he said.

As Scioscia shuffled his lineup, General Manager Bill Stoneman suggested Scioscia already has all the lineup cards he will be dealt any time soon.

After a survey of the trading market, Stoneman said the available hitters would all come at too high a price, and with no more of a guarantee of success than the hitters already here.

“Clubs with the dilemma of good hitters under-performing usually are better off giving those hitters a chance to come around and produce,” Stoneman said.

“Can we go out and acquire somebody of the caliber of the guys we’ve got? We would have to give up a heck of a lot in order to do that. Right now, what we’re counting on is the guys we’ve got turning it around.”

Designated hitter Glenallen Hill will accompany the Angels to Baltimore today instead of beginning a minor league rehabilitation assignment. Hill, on the disabled list since April 22 because of a strained rib cage and slowed recently by a strained hamstring, cannot yet run at top speed. Since Hill is swinging well in practice, the Angels will consider skipping the rehabilitation assignment and activating him next weekend.

Francisco Rodriguez, ranked as the Angels’ No. 2 prospect by Baseball America, made his season debut Sunday and, limited by a pitch count, threw two scoreless innings for Class A Rancho Cucamonga. Rodriguez, 19, hampered by elbow tendinitis this spring, went 4-4 with a 2.81 earned-run average last year at Class A Lake Elsinore, striking out 79 in 64 innings.

The Angels optioned utility man Jamie Burke to triple-A Salt Lake. They will activate catcher Jorge Fabregas (inflamed right elbow) from the disabled list before their next game Tuesday at Baltimore.