Washburn Goes on Disabled List

The bullpen session that Jarrod Washburn hoped would propel him back into the rotation Friday night lasted all of five pitches.

While the pain in the left-hander’s rib-cage wasn’t “excruciating” Monday afternoon, it was severe enough to send Washburn to the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, his injury diagnosed as inflammation of a ligament in a rib near his sternum.

Ramon Ortiz, who started in place of Washburn on Sunday, will start again Friday against Seattle, and veteran outfielder Curtis Pride, who is 95% deaf, was recalled from triple-A Salt Lake to replace Washburn on the roster.

“There was no setback -- it just hasn’t progressed at all,” said Washburn, who hopes to return next week. “The discomfort is still there, so I’m going on the DL instead of taking a chance [of aggravating the injury] and missing the rest of the year.”

Washburn, who underwent X-rays and a CT scan Monday and a bone scan Tuesday, the results of which were normal, has had back spasms, a hip problem and now a rib-cage injury this season, but until Sunday, he had not missed a start.

“I’m not a doctor, but the back is attached to the ribs, and the ribs are attached to the sternum,” said Washburn, who is 10-5 with a 4.83 earned-run average. “So I imagine there’s a correlation there.”

Pride, 35, began the season with the Nashua Pride of the independent Atlantic League before signing a minor league contract with the Angels on May 28. In 19 games at Salt Lake, Pride batted .431 with eight doubles, two home runs and 10 runs batted in.

Pride, who has played 353 major league games for five teams since 1993, can play all three outfield positions and has excellent speed.

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Texas left-hander Kenny Rogers will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of his perfect game by starting tonight against the Angels, the team he threw his gem against at the Ballpark in Arlington on July 28, 1994.

Tim Salmon and Garret Anderson are the only current Angels on that 1994 team, but neither played in the game -- Salmon went on the DL the day before, and Anderson had just been called up from triple-A and was not in the lineup.

Angel broadcaster Rex Hudler, though, played an integral role, hitting the ball on which then-Ranger rookie Rusty Greer made a spectacular diving catch in shallow center field to rob Hudler of a hit to start the ninth inning.

“It was a packed house, and the fans were in a frenzy,” Hudler recalled. “I turned to the crowd in the on-deck circle, took off my helmet and said, ‘I’m gonna get him!’ I hit a fastball that I thought was good enough for a hit, and I was screaming all the way to first, saying, ‘Way to go, Hud!’ Then I saw Greer parallel to the ground and heard the roar of the crowd.”

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Anderson, slowed by a tight right groin, ran Tuesday and could return in a designated hitter role by tonight or Thursday.... Angel third-base prospect Dallas McPherson, who is batting .311 with 11 homers and 28 RBIs for Salt Lake and has been mentioned prominently in trade rumors, suffered a hip flexor strain Monday night and is day to day.