After Scare, Colon Says He’s Ready for Opener

Pitcher Bartolo Colon survived a scary moment in his final tuneup before Tuesday’s opening-day start at Seattle, remaining in Thursday’s exhibition game after being struck in the right shin by a wicked line drive off the bat of Milwaukee’s Scott Podsednik in the second inning.

Colon went on to complete six strong innings, giving up three earned runs and eight hits, striking out seven and walking one in a 9-6 loss to the Brewers in the Angels’ Cactus League finale.

“I feel ready -- my changeup and curve were exactly where I wanted to put them today,” Colon said through an interpreter. “The only one I didn’t like is the one that hit me on the shin.”

Colon recovered in time to throw out Podsednik on the play, and though his shin swelled up a bit, he was able to continue. He was pleased with the command on his fastball and threw several good off-speed pitches.

“I’m going to put my glove down there the next time,” Colon joked. “There was a little throbbing, but I put some ice on it, and it was no problem.”

Colon, who finished the exhibition season with a 5.16 earned-run average in six starts, will be making the fourth opening-day start of his career Tuesday.

“I’m very grateful to the whole team for the responsibility I have to start the season,” said Colon, a native of the Dominican Republic. “To take the ball from day one means a lot to me, and to my countrymen, but regardless of that, we’re all No. 1 pitchers.”

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All-Star reliever Brendan Donnelly, who was released from Scottsdale Memorial Hospital on Wednesday, was put on the 15-day disabled list Thursday because of complications stemming from a broken nose.

The Angels are bracing for Donnelly to be out for at least a month, and it’s possible he could need six-to-eight weeks to recover from two March surgeries.

“Our feeling is, with the depth of our bullpen, we don’t have to develop a plan for if he’s out for a month or more,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “I don’t think it’s a huge adjustment to fill his void with the arms we have. Roles will change, and the bullpen won’t be as strong without Brendan, but hopefully we can absorb his loss.”

One key could be Scot Shields. Francisco Rodriguez and Ben Weber are eighth-inning veterans, but Shields, the erstwhile long reliever, will assume more late-inning responsibilities than he’s accustomed to.

“It’s hard because Brendan is a good friend, but hopefully I can take this opportunity to show I can pitch in close games, in some tighter situations,” said Shields, who went 5-6 with a 2.85 ERA in 44 games last season.

Shields is called “Rubber Arm” because of his ability to pitch on consecutive days, and that resiliency will be valuable to the Angels.

“That was something I was born with,” said Shields, a 6-foot-1, 170-pound right-hander. “I guess it helps to not have too many muscles to get sore.”

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Catcher Bengie Molina felt better Thursday after being pulled from Wednesday’s game because of a slight strain of his left hamstring, but he may be held out of this weekend’s Freeway Series against the Dodgers for precautionary reasons.

“It’s probably a little scar tissue that I have to work out of there,” said Molina, who was sidelined because of hamstring problems for two weeks in early March. “They said if I pulled it, I wouldn’t be able to walk the next day. I’m able to walk without pain, so I should be fine.”

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It appears Kevin Gregg has won the final bullpen spot.... The blister on Rodriguez’s index finger has healed, and the reliever will return this weekend.... Reliever Yoshitaka Mizuo was reassigned to minor league camp and will open the season at triple-A Salt Lake.... Adam Riggs and Jeff Mathis homered Thursday, and the Angels closed Cactus League play with a 16-13-1 record.... Pitcher Greg Jones (right shoulder) was put on the 15-day disabled list.