Hand Injury Keeps Salmon Out Again

Tim Salmon took a few swings in a batting cage, felt pain in his left hand and sat out his fifth straight game Friday after being hit in the hand by a pitch last Saturday.

Salmon, who had hoped to return to the lineup early this week, admitted that he was discouraged at the slow recovery.

“A little bit, but it’s a bone bruise and it’s going to heal on its own schedule,” he said. “I was hoping for more with the day off [Thursday]. But from a pain standpoint, there’s pain and you lose grip strength.”

Salmon, who will turn 34 next Saturday, had not missed a game this season until sitting out this week.

He is experiencing a renaissance at the plate, batting .297 with 18 home runs and 76 runs batted in, a year after getting lows in his career in average (.227), homers (17) and RBIs (49).

“Tim’s getting better, but he’s still not where we hoped he’d be,” Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said. “We’re still saying he’s day-to-day, but hopefully it’s sooner rather than later.”

Said Salmon: “We’re just going to up the anti-inflammatory and let’s see how the weekend goes. I don’t want to push it and [injure it further to] prolong it.”

The longer he remains out, shortening the Angel bench, the more likely he’ll get a stint on the disabled list, a move that would be retroactive.

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Before joining the Angels in a July 30 trade, the oft-traveled Alex Ochoa had set up shop in five major league clubhouses. Not many, he said, have been as comfortable and quick a fit as the Angels’, though.

“It’s been great; everyone’s just been awesome,” Ochoa said. “[Getting comfortable] comes with time.”

Ochoa is batting only .227, but he’s already played in eight games since coming to the Angels from Milwaukee.

“His timing couldn’t have been any better with [Salmon and Darin Erstad] out,” Scioscia said. “We talk about the depth of our outfield and he’s contributed, not only with his arm and defense, but offensively, he’s drawn some big walks. He’s going to hit.”

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Scioscia’s protest of the Tigers’ batting out of order on Wednesday became a moot point when the Angels came from behind to beat the Tigers, 5-4. But Scioscia said he may call Ralph Nelson, baseball’s vice president in charge of umpiring, when the team is in New York next week to clarify the rule to see how the protest would have played out.

“Just for the official explanation of it and for education,” Scioscia said.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’

JARROD

WASHBURN

(15-3, 2.97 ERA)

vs.

INDIANS’

JASON

PHILLIPS

(1-1, 4.13 ERA)

Edison Field, 7

TV--Fox Sports Net.

Radio--KLAC (570), XPRS (1090).

Update--Washburn, who turned 28 Tuesday, will be making the 100th appearance and 90th start of his career. He is 1-1 with a 5.25 earned-run average in three starts against Cleveland. The right-handed Phillips, who made six appearances for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1999 but did not return to the major leagues until this season with the Indians, will be facing the Angels for the first time.

Tickets--(714) 940-2000.