Washburn Can’t Elude a Trip to DL

Jarrod Washburn was a basketball point guard in high school, so the left-hander recognized immediately the defense Angel coaches were throwing at him Wednesday night.

“They were running the box-and-one on me,” Washburn said with a smile.

Manager Mike Scioscia, pitching coach Bud Black and others were trying to corner the elusive Washburn after his 12-minute, full-speed bullpen session ended Wednesday without incident. They wanted to convince him to go on the disabled list and further the healing of tendinitis in his pitching forearm. The left-hander had skipped his previous start.

After the workout, Washburn told reporters he felt good enough to make his start Saturday against Tampa Bay. But after the Angels’ 8-4 win that night, the club announced he was going on the disabled list, retroactive to July 25.

“During the game, they finally convinced me it was the right thing to do,” Washburn said. “I might as well take another week and get all the inflammation out of there. I’m hard-headed but with the progress we’ve made, why take a step back?”

Rookie right-hander Chris Bootcheck started in place of Washburn on Sunday at Yankee Stadium and limited the Yankees to one run in six innings. Bootcheck will start in place of Washburn against the Devil Rays. Washburn, though, figures to start Friday in Seattle.

*

Casey Kotchman was recalled from triple-A Salt Lake on Thursday to fill the roster spot vacated by Washburn. It is Kotchman’s second stint with the Angels after going 0 for 9 from May 30-June 14.

Scioscia says Kotchman will provide depth at first base and hopes he finds his stroke at the plate.

“I think he was trying to force some things early,” Scioscia said of Kotchman, who batted .192 at Salt Lake in April. “He’s going to be a productive major league hitter, no doubt.”

Said Kotchman: “I’m trying not to let too many things get into my head other than just playing.”

He went 0 for 2 Thursday after replacing the injured Darin Erstad at first base.

*

A day after getting the 900th run batted in of his career -- his first RBI came as a Montreal Expo on a solo home run off Atlanta’s Mark Wohlers on Sept. 21, 1996, at Fulton County Stadium -- Vladimir Guerrero reflected on his accomplishment.

“It’s a good job,” he said in Spanish, “but it’s clear that it means I’ve been playing a while and that I’ve had a lot of guys on base ahead of me.”