Shoulder Injury Could End Cook’s Career

Dennis Cook, who threw his first major league pitch in 1988, might have thrown his last major league pitch.

The Angels put the left-handed reliever on the disabled list Friday because of a suspected torn labrum in his left shoulder, Manager Mike Scioscia said. With Cook already leaning toward retirement at the end of the season, a medical recommendation for surgery could mean the end of his career.

“If my career ended today, I would be happy,” he said. “I have no regrets. I’ve been the luckiest man to walk the face of the Earth.”

Cook, 39, has a 2.86 earned-run average this season but he has given up 13 hits in his last 6 2/3 innings. He said he has felt weakness in the shoulder the last two to three weeks. After three days of rest over the All-Star break, the condition had not improved when Cook worked out Thursday.

To replace Cook on the roster, the Angels recalled reliever Brendan Donnelly from triple-A Salt Lake City. Cook will be examined Monday in California, and he hopes doctors will tell him he can return this season, after rest and rehabilitation.

Cook, a two-time World Series participant and a former Dodger teammate of Scioscia, said it was “very unlikely” he would want to play next season. He is the father of 4-year-old triplets.

“They’re always asking me, how many more days until you come home?” he said. “I’ve played this game a long time so I could be able to take care of them. I don’t want to wake up when my kids are 10 or 12 and have missed everything.”

TONIGHT

ANGELS’

AARON SELE

(7-5, 5.03 ERA)

vs.

ROYALS’

PAUL BYRD

(11-5, 3.95 ERA)

Kauffman Stadium, 4 PDT

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

Update--The Angels signed their second-round draft pick, right-hander Kevin Jepsen, for a $740,000 bonus and their third-round pick, left-hander Kyle Pawelczyk, for a $460,000 bonus. The Angels have signed 15 of their first 16 picks.