Erstad’s Return Up in Air

Darin Erstad will be not be ready to return Tuesday, when he is eligible to be activated from the disabled list, and the Angels have no idea how many more days -- or weeks -- will be required before their center fielder recovers from his hamstring injury.

Since the injury has not improved in the five days since the Angels put him on the disabled list, they solicited a second opinion Wednesday from John Burgfeld, the Cleveland Browns’ team orthopedist. Burgfeld examined Erstad, reviewed the MRI examination and confirmed the original diagnosis of tendinitis.

Since all he can do is rest -- running makes him feel “like someone has taken a knife and stabbed me in the back of the knee,” he said, and treatment other than ice only aggravates the injury -- the Angels will send him home today.

Erstad said he is “absolutely worthless” to the team right now. “I’m pretty much dead weight,” he said. He added that doctors have been unable to provide any timetable for when he might return.

Eric Owens, his primary replacement, had two hits Wednesday but is hitting .182 (four for 22) since Erstad’s injury.

In their championship season, the Angels put two regulars and one starting pitcher on the disabled list all year. In the first month of this season, the Angels have put two regulars and two starting pitchers on the disabled list.

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