Donnelly Is Activated

A three-month ordeal that at times seemed as arduous as his 10-year tour through the minor leagues has ended.

All-Star reliever Brendan Donnelly, sidelined all season by complications stemming from a broken nose and elbow tendinitis, joined the Angels in Pittsburgh on Wednesday and was activated for tonight’s game against the Pirates.

Reliever Dusty Bergman was optioned to triple-A Salt Lake.

“This whole thing,” Donnelly said, referring to the numerous setbacks he has had since his initial injury, “has been fairly ridiculous.”

Donnelly fractured his nose in 20 places when he was struck by a batting-practice fly ball March 9. He tried to come back too soon after surgery and experienced severe nose bleeds that required another surgery and sidelined him for six weeks.

Then Donnelly rushed his first rehabilitation stint and suffered an elbow injury in early May that knocked him out for several weeks. But after completing a lengthy throwing program and making two appearances for Salt Lake -- one in which he struck out the side Tuesday night -- Donnelly is ready to return.

“I feel I can go right back into my set-up role, but I know that’s not how it works,” said Donnelly, who had a 2-2 record with a 1.58 earned-run average in 63 games last season. “I’ll be eased back in so I can get my feet under me. There’s a process that I have to go through.”

Manager Mike Scioscia says he will use Donnelly in non-pressure situations at first, “so if he’s not locating the ball with precision, it’s not going to win or lose a game. When he’s ready, he’ll move to the back of the bullpen.”

At that point, the Angels, even without injured closer Troy Percival, will regain much of the bullpen depth they thought would be a strength. With Francisco Rodriguez, Donnelly, and the emerging Scot Shields and Kevin Gregg, Scioscia will have four pitchers he can feel confident using in the late innings of close games.

“We’ll have the depth to shorten games on a consistent basis, instead of shortening them one day and needing a day or two to reload,” Scioscia said. “We can match up late in the game or go to guys earlier if we need to. We have that depth on nights when everyone is fresh, but when guys need days off, that depth starts to erode a bit. It’s going to be nice to re-establish that.”

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Ramon Ortiz, unhappy with his demotion to the bullpen in early May, will get another chance as a starter. Scioscia said Ortiz would start in place of the injured Aaron Sele on Saturday against the Houston Astros and Roger Clemens.

“I’m happy,” Ortiz said. “It doesn’t matter who I’m pitching against. I don’t have to face Clemens. I’m facing Houston. And Clemens has to face Anaheim. I’m ready.”

Ortiz, hitless in 19 career at-bats, did not seem thrilled when reminded that the Angels will play in Minute Maid Park, where there is no designated hitter, so he will have to bat. Against Clemens.

“Well, he has to face me too,” Ortiz said.

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The Angels have agreed to terms with 18 of the 48 players selected in last week’s draft, including sixth-round pick Joshua LeBlanc, a second baseman from Southern A&M; seventh-round pitcher Bill Layman, a right-hander from the University of North Florida and ninth-round pick Hainley Statia, a high school shortstop from Florida.

Negotiations have not begun with first-round pick Jered Weaver, the Long Beach State right-hander who was the 12th overall pick and could command a deal in the $7-million range or more. Weaver threw more than 140 innings this season, so the Angels want him to take a lengthy break.

“I definitely need a rest, but I want to go out and play baseball again this season, as well,” Weaver said Wednesday. “It will take me a little while to get my arm back in shape after the break, but other than that, there shouldn’t be any problems.”