Scioscia Shuffles Lineup as Key Players Return

In an indication that there may not be enough at-bats to go around as the Angels approach full strength, only one of the two sluggers who had rejoined the team in the last two days was in the lineup Thursday night against the Milwaukee Brewers at Angel Stadium.

As Garret Anderson was activated after a three-game rehabilitation assignment and started in center field, Tim Salmon was benched for one night after going three for three with a walk in his first game back from an inflamed left knee. He did walk as a pinch hitter Thursday.

“Hopefully, it’s going to be a sign of some good things to come,” Salmon said of the players’ return, “but I still can’t get in the lineup at the same time with Garret.”

Manager Mike Scioscia said he switched left fielder Jose Guillen to designated hitter Thursday to “get Jose off his feet” and started Jeff DaVanon in left field because he was hitting .345.

“We’re going to want to get Timmy in there,” Scioscia said. “Tonight we’re going to stay with Jeff and we can adjust down the road. I think the key is to get guys productive and keep them productive. You can’t keep someone on the bench for a prolonged period, so we’re going to be getting guys in there as much as we can.”

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Anderson, who had been expected to be sidelined until the All-Star break because of early inflammatory arthritis in his upper back, said he was “just happy to be healthy and able to play baseball” after his first career stint on the disabled list.

The outfielder said he told Scioscia he was ready to be activated after Wednesday night’s game with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga.

Anderson said he felt no discomfort but did not know whether he would be immediately capable of playing center field every day.

“I’m going to have some soreness from playing,” he said. “It’s kind of one of those things where you kind of wait and see.”

Anderson, who continues to take anti-inflammatory medication, said he would never “feel totally at ease until they find out why it happened. That may never happen.”

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Brendan Donnelly is scheduled to pitch Sunday and Tuesday for triple-A Salt Lake and could rejoin the Angels on their six-game trip next week if there are no complications stemming from the broken nose and elbow tendinitis that have sidelined him since spring training.

Donnelly threw a simulated game Thursday and said he felt that he could pitch for the Angels that night considering the stuff he had.

“But there’s a process we’ve got to go through as far as safety goes for myself,” Donnelly, who has had several setbacks during a recovery that has taken more than three months. “You want to make sure you don’t do too much too quick.”

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Raul Mondesi said he expected to be out “seven to eight weeks, maybe longer” after tearing a right thigh muscle Tuesday while running from home plate to first base in the seventh inning.

The outfielder played 10 more innings, thinking that perhaps he had merely pulled a muscle, before telling the Angel medical staff that his leg was bothering him.

An MRI exam revealed the nature of the injury.

“We would expect him back before the end of the year playing; when that’s going to be, though, we’d just be guessing,” Scioscia said.

ON DECK

Opponent -- Chicago Cubs, three games.

Site -- Angel Stadium.

TV -- Fox Sports Net, all three games.

Radio -- KSPN (710), KTNQ (1020).

Records -- Angels 34-25, Cubs 31-28.

Record vs. Cubs--0-0.

Tonight, 7 -- John Lackey (3-7, 5.64) vs. Greg Maddux (5-4, 4.13).

Saturday, 7 p.m. -- Bartolo Colon (4-4, 6.00) vs. Glendon Rusch (2-1, 3.99).

Sunday, 1 p.m. -- Kelvim Escobar (4-2, 3.34) vs. Matt Clement (7-4, 3.28).