Donnelly Says He’s Ready but Is Sent to Salt Lake

Against his wishes, setup man Brendan Donnelly will report to triple-A Salt Lake today to complete two more rehabilitation outings and is scheduled to rejoin the Angels next Friday in Baltimore.

Donnelly, out since March 9 because of complications stemming from a broken nose, indicated Friday that he felt strong enough to rejoin the Angel bullpen sooner than next week. He noted that the 42 pitches he threw Thursday night for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga would have been enough to pitch two innings at the major league level.

But Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said there’s no reason to risk a premature return.

“We’d rather be safe than sorry,” he said.

Donnelly is scheduled to pitch Sunday and Tuesday for the Stingers before meeting the Angels in Baltimore.

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Angel owner Arte Moreno and Bill Stoneman, one of six general managers on a Major League Baseball committee involved with the proposed baseball World Cup tentatively scheduled for next March, said they would strongly encourage participation by Angel players despite concerns involving fatigue and exposure to injury.

The Angels could be well-represented considering their roster includes players from Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico and the United States.

“For me, to get everybody together on a world stage would enhance baseball and really give people a chance to see that this is more of a global sport than people think,” Moreno said.

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The results of tests to determine the cause of discomfort in the neck, upper back and shoulder of Garret Anderson were unavailable Friday, and the center fielder will rest until he learns more about the mysterious ailment that landed him on the disabled list April 22.

“Until there’s an indication he’s starting to turn the corner on this there’s no sense really getting into any activity that might hinder the progress,” Scioscia said.... Darin Erstad was given his first day off this season in an attempt to keep him fresh. He was replaced at first base by Robb Quinlan.... Tim Salmon resumed swinging a bat for the first time since going on the disabled list with irritation in his left knee.

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The Angels have partnered with Ticketmaster in offering a first-of-its-kind program that allows season-ticket holders to sell unused tickets online or forward them to friends and family electronically. Participants can manage their accounts through www.angelsbaseball.com by clicking on “My Angels Account.”