Cabrera Might Need Surgery

Orlando Cabrera could not rule out the possibility of undergoing surgery to remove small bone chips from his right elbow during the season, a procedure that would sideline the Angel shortstop four to six weeks.

“The doctor said [the chips] are in the wrong place now because they’re bothering me,” said Cabrera, who was placed on the disabled list Saturday. “They’re creating irritation and inflammation around the ligaments.... If it gets bad enough, I could do the surgery now.”

Cabrera said with daily treatment and medication his arm is beginning to feel better, and he has resumed throwing, but only “at about 50%.” Because he’s not eligible to be activated until after the All-Star break, he probably won’t test the elbow with maximum-effort throws until next week.

If the elbow continues to bother Cabrera, he could find himself in the same predicament pitcher Kelvim Escobar was in last month -- try to throw with a bone spur in his elbow or undergo surgery. The right-hander, after two failed comeback attempts, finally chose surgery and will be out until early August.

“The last thing I want to do is have surgery,” Cabrera said. “Hopefully with therapy, that will be enough to get me through the season.”

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Center fielder Steve Finley, on the disabled list because of a right shoulder strain, took a significant step toward his return with an impressive full session of batting practice before Thursday night’s game.

“He looked great; he looked 100% to me right now,” batting instructor Mickey Hatcher said. “That’s the best I’ve seen him in a while. The bat speed is back. He’s getting more extension on his swing. Some balls were jumping off his bat.”

Finley admitted feeling “some fatigue, which is good,” but he felt no pain in the shoulder. He will hit again today and begin a two-game rehabilitation assignment with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Saturday. If all goes well, Finley will work out with the Angels on Wednesday and be activated for Thursday’s game in Minnesota.

“I’m very encouraged,” Finley said. “The idea was to get it right so we don’t have to do this again. The team has been playing so well, it made it easy to take my time.”

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Jered Weaver, the Angels’ 2004 first-round pick who held out for a year before signing for $4 million on May 30, has been anything but dominant in his first four professional starts, going 1-1 with a 6.28 earned run average for Rancho Cucamonga.

But the former Long Beach State ace, who attended Thursday’s Angel game with the rest of the Quakes, is confident his results will improve with regular work.

“I feel like I’m about 85-90% right now,” Weaver said. “Not a lot of people have had 400 days off. It feels like spring training.”

Agent Scott Boras said Weaver was “close to major league ready” when the Angels drafted the right-hander. Does Weaver believe that?

“Yeah, absolutely, why wouldn’t I?” Weaver said.

“I had a great career at Long Beach. Now, it’s going to take some time, since I had 400 days off.”