Sele’s Status as Starter Uncertain

If Aaron Sele returns to the Angels this year--with increasing emphasis on the “if”--he might do so as a reliever.

Sele has not thrown off a mound since doctors detected a partially torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder two weeks ago. With 25 days left in the regular season, it is unlikely he can regain enough strength in the shoulder and develop enough stamina to return as a starter and pitch six or seven innings.

“Can he throw 120 pitches again? That’s probably out of the question,” pitching coach Bud Black said. “There’s a chance he could start and pitch a certain number of innings or pitches. There’s a possibility of him being in the bullpen as well.”

Said Sele: “I don’t need a full tank of gas to finish the season.”

When the Angels put him on the disabled list, they said he was expected to miss two to three weeks. But Sele said Tuesday he was told he could start throwing in two to three weeks--and he has played catch--not return to the roster on that timetable. Manager Mike Scioscia said the original time frame reflected only a “possibility” and said he was more concerned with Sele rehabilitating the shoulder for next season than this one.

The Angels will pay him $8 million next year and $8.5 million in 2004.

“There are still a lot of steps he has to take before you consider him being close enough to pitch in a game,” Scioscia said. “The most important thing for Aaron’s career is to make sure he’s in a position to get his arm healthy so he can pitch for a long time.”

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Now that the players and owners have reached a new labor agreement, the union is expected to consider whether to lift the ban on admitting those who served as replacement players during the 1994-95 strike.

Those players, including Brendan Donnelly of the Angels, Rick Reed of the Minnesota Twins and Damian Miller of the Arizona Diamondbacks, do not share in licensing revenue, worth about $30,000 per player per year.

Scott Schoeneweis, the Angels’ player representative, said he would support Donnelly for union membership. That decision would be up to the players on the executive board of the union.

“I would like to see Brendan be a part of the union,” Schoeneweis said. “What he did doesn’t tarnish the type of person he is and the type of teammate he is.”

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Outfielder and No. 3 hitter Tim Salmon, who has not started since his left hand was hit and badly bruised by a pitch Aug. 10, is expected to return to the lineup no later than Friday.

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The Angels claimed outfielder Barry Wesson on waivers from the Houston Astros and optioned him to triple-A Salt Lake. Wesson, 25, hit .293 with 11 home runs at triple-A New Orleans.

TODAY

ANGELS’

KEVIN APPIER

(13-9, 3.71 ERA)

vs.

DEVIL RAYS’

TANYON STURTZE

(7-9, 4.32 ERA)

Tropicana Field, 4 p.m. PDT

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

Update--Third baseman Troy Glaus, hit on the left elbow by a pitch Sunday, played Tuesday. The Angels will start Ramon Ortiz on Thursday instead of Friday, putting him in position to start two games against Texas--a preferred matchup for him--and to start the last day of the season. if necessary.