Amezaga Answers Call, Fills In at Shortstop

By Gary Klein

May 25, 2002 12 AM PT

Alfredo Amezaga did not have time to ease into the major leagues.

Amezaga, promoted Friday by the Angels from triple-A Salt Lake, made his big league debut as the starting shortstop in a 5-1 loss to the Minnesota Twins at Edison Field.

Amezaga, 24, started in place of David Eckstein, who missed his third consecutive game because of a knee injury suffered Monday.

“I’m trying to think about helping the team and doing the things that Eckstein was doing,” Amezaga said. “I just want to cover his spot, have fun and let things happen.”

Amezaga, a switch-hitter, hit .234 with 18 runs batted in in 44 games at Salt Lake.

“Defensively, he plays with a lot of confidence,” Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said. “This is a great litmus test for him to come out and do it on a major league field. We’re not bringing him up for a look, we’re bringing him up because we’re anticipating what he can do for us to help us win a ballgame.”

On Friday, Amezaga touched the ball twice on defense. He tagged out Jacque Jones on a steal attempt at second base in the sixth inning and threw out Jones at first after fielding a ground ball hit up the middle in the ninth. Amezaga struck out against Rick Reed in his first at-bat, was thrown out by Reed on a bunt in the sixth and hit a fly ball to center in the eighth.

Eckstein took ground balls for the first time since injuring his knee, but he missed a third consecutive game because of injury for the first time since 1999, when he was hit on the foot by a pitch while playing for double-A Trenton in the Boston Red Sox organization.

Utilityman Benji Gil, who went on the disabled list on April 6 because of a sprained left ankle, began a rehabilitation assignment at Salt Lake. First baseman Shawn Wooten, rehabilitating from surgery on his right hand, is not expected to begin playing in minor league games until next week, Scioscia said.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’

JARROD WASHBURN

(4-2, 3.48 ERA)

vs.

TWINS’

MATT KINNEY

(1-4, 4.15 ERA)

Edison Field, 7

TV--Fox Sports Net.

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

Update--Washburn gave up one run and three hits and had five strikeouts in seven innings in a 6-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox Sunday.