Erstad Still Puzzled by Hamstring Injury

Darin Erstad has sought advice from doctors all over the country, consulted a number of specialists for input on designing a strength and conditioning program exclusively for his legs, and felt terrific in his first 29 games.

And still, with absolutely no warning, in game No. 30, the Angel first baseman suffered two serious strains of his right hamstring as he rounded third against Tampa Bay on May 8, an injury that is expected to sideline Erstad until late June.

“If you can explain it, I’d like to hear it,” said Erstad, who has been on the disabled list four times in seven years because of hamstring injuries. “We were doing everything in our power to prevent this, and I felt great.

“You wonder, is it genetic? Am I stretching wrong? For whatever reason, it’s reoccurring. I’m going to continue to try different things to get a grasp on it, but maybe it is what it is, and I’m just going to have to deal with it.”

On the bright side, Erstad said this injury is “completely different” from the right hamstring tendinitis that limited him to 67 games last season. “This is muscular; that was a tendon,” he said. “I have good blood flow in the area” of these two strains.

On the not-so-bright side, Erstad, one of five front-line Angels on the disabled list, is weeks away from returning.

“I’ve been through this enough to know I’ve just got to be patient,” Erstad said.

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Reliever Brendan Donnelly, whose return from a broken nose was delayed by elbow tendinitis, played catch Tuesday for the first time since walking off the mound after six pitches of a rehabilitation appearance for triple-A Salt Lake on May 9.

The All-Star right-hander hopes to get back on a mound by this weekend and resume his rehabilitation assignment next week, a process that, barring any more setbacks, could return Donnelly to the Angel roster by June 1.

“I tried to do too much too fast,” Donnelly said. “While I was throwing, I dropped my arm angle down and put too much stress on my elbow. I walked off the mound [on May 9] because I didn’t want to blow my elbow out.”

Donnelly, who broke his nose in 20 places when he was hit by a batting-practice fly ball March 9, suffered severe nose bleeds when he tried to return from his initial injury too soon.

“I’ve got to slow down and be sure of things; I’ve got to get back to 100% the right way,” Donnelly said. “I was being a little too aggressive.”

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Center fielder Garret Anderson, sidelined since April 22 because of a mysterious ailment that has caused stiffness and pain in his neck, shoulders and upper back, visited a neurologist Tuesday.

Anderson was not available before Tuesday’s game, but designated hitter Tim Salmon, on the DL because of an inflamed left knee, ran into Anderson at church Sunday and said his teammate has reached a point of exasperation with a condition that numerous doctors have been unable to diagnose.

“He’s as at a loss for what’s going on as anyone I’ve ever seen,” Salmon said. “They’ve sent him to every medical professional in town.... I’m telling you, they’re not hiding anything. I’ve talked to everyone in the loop ... and no one knows what’s going on. When they say it’s mysterious, it’s mysterious.”