Glaus Unhappy About Being Designated Sitter

Troy Glaus did not spend more than two months rehabilitating his right shoulder in the 100-degree heat of Phoenix to sit on the bench with the Angels in the heat of a pennant race.

But that is where he found himself again Monday night and where he probably will remain until Garret Anderson is able to return to center field, which could take a few more days.

Anderson, still bothered by tendinitis in his left knee, replaced Glaus at designated hitter for a second consecutive game Monday when the Angels played the Seattle Mariners at Angel Stadium.

“I’m not all right with it, but I don’t necessarily have a choice,” Glaus said of being out of the lineup.

Glaus acknowledged he was limited by his inability to field a position only four months removed from major surgery.

“All I can do is hit,” said Glaus, batting .210 with four homers and six runs batted in since returning from a 97-game absence. “If someone else needs a day [at DH], I’m the one who doesn’t play.”

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Chone Figgins, whom Manager Mike Scioscia has labeled a candidate for the team’s most valuable player award, said he did not take as an affront being removed from the lineup in the midst of a playoff push.

“It’s about winning now,” said Figgins, replaced at third base Monday by Dallas McPherson as part of Scioscia’s lineup shake-up.

“If that’s what he feels is good for the team for us to win, then I’m all for it.”

Figgins entered the game in the fifth as a defensive replacement for injured second baseman Adam Kennedy and scored on a double steal in the eighth. Scioscia said Figgins would be back in the lineup, batting leadoff, today.

McPherson finished three for three with a double in his first major league start and made a nice defensive play on Greg Dobbs’ sharply hit grounder.

Defensive concerns had deterred the Angels from starting McPherson earlier after a minor league season in which he hit 40 homers and drove in 126 runs, but McPherson said he had made significant strides since working on his footwork with Angel infield coach Alfredo Griffin.

“I’ve fixed a few things mechanically,” McPherson said. “... I feel better, and it’s definitely going to help me in the long run.”

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David Eckstein, dropped from the leadoff spot for the first time this season, batted second for the first time since Oct. 6, 2001, against the Oakland Athletics. Scioscia said he wanted Jeff DaVanon atop his order because of DaVanon’s .382 on-base percentage against right-handed pitchers.... Fox’s telecast of the game between the Angels and Athletics at 1 p.m. Saturday will be shown on Channel 13 so Southland viewers who prefer to watch the game between the Dodgers and San Francisco Giants, also scheduled for 1 p.m., can see it on Channel 11.