Washburn Puts All of His Pains Behind Him

The pain that racked Jarrod Washburn in his final appearance of last season was figurative, the Angel left-hander having yielded David Ortiz’s two-run, 10th-inning homer that lifted the Boston Red Sox to the final victory of their three-game sweep in the American League division series.

But all too often over the last two years, the aches have been excruciatingly literal. Strained cartilage in his rib cage forced Washburn to sit out six weeks in 2004, and a sprained left shoulder sustained during a fielding drill in spring training delayed the start of his 2003 season.

The sting from his rib injury having fully abated over the off-season, Washburn said he didn’t know whether he had ever felt as physically sound during spring training as he does now. And he looked plenty sharp in his spring debut Monday, tossing two scoreless innings in the Angels’ 4-0 loss to the San Diego Padres at Tempe Diablo Stadium.

Washburn gave up two singles before retiring the final five batters he faced, concluding his outing with a strikeout of Xavier Nady in which he unfurled “one of the best changeups I’ve ever thrown.”

“His arm is where it needs to be right now,” Manager Mike Scioscia said of Washburn, who struck out three and walked none. “He hit some good spots.”

The Angels have been waiting for Washburn to build on the promise of his 18-victory season of 2002, a process that Washburn said has been derailed by injuries. He got off to a fast start last season, becoming the first pitcher in the AL to reach seven victories before finishing 11-8 with a 4.64 earned-run average and one shutout.

“I didn’t have as much life on my fastball because of health issues,” Washburn said. “Being a fastball pitcher and throwing a very high percentage of fastballs, you need to have good life on it. When you don’t ... it makes my one good pitch a mediocre pitch and makes it even harder to get by.”

Washburn, who avoided arbitration last month by agreeing to a one-year, $6.5-million contract, declined to comment when asked whether he was trying to appreciate what might be his final spring with the Angels. He is eligible to become a free agent after this season.

Washburn has a history of quarreling with the Angels over contracts, and his agent, Scott Boras, recently engaged in a dispute with General Manager Bill Stoneman involving the value of another Boras client, first-round draft pick Jered Weaver. Weaver remains unsigned and will reenter the draft barring an unforeseen attempt to salvage negotiations.

Stoneman called the Weaver situation “an isolated negotiation” when asked whether it would affect dealings with other Boras clients. “If the next one is different, great,” Stoneman said. “We’ll see.”

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Shortstop Orlando Cabrera was scratched from the lineup because of allergies, and catcher Bengie Molina was scratched because of tightness in his left calf that he said resulted from overexerting himself in agility drills. “At this point I don’t care how long it takes,” Molina said of his recovery. “It’s about being ready for opening day. Hopefully, it’s less than five days. If it’s not, it’s not.” ... Reserve catcher Jose Molina remained sidelined by a strained left side muscle and is expected to sit out a few more days as a precaution.... John Lackey was scratched from his scheduled start today against the Seattle Mariners because of a blister that developed on his right index finger during his first spring start and is not expected to pitch in a game again until the weekend. Prospect Ervin Santana will start in Lackey’s place.

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The Angels should learn today whether they can finish the season before the city of Anaheim’s lawsuit against them goes to trial.

Orange County Superior Court Judge Peter Polos is expected to set a trial date in a hearing this morning. The city, which claims the Angels broke their stadium lease by adding Los Angeles to their name, wants the trial to begin in August. The Angels prefer a January start.

Anaheim’s legal bills topped the $200,000 mark within one month after the city filed suit. The city has received bills totaling $207,282 for work through Jan. 31, City Atty. Jack White said.

The city last month retained a second attorney, Andrew Guilford, past president of the state bar. White has yet to complete a fee arrangement with Guilford, city spokesman John Nicoletti said. Co-counsel Mike Rubin earns $364.25 an hour.

Angel owner Arte Moreno said last month that he would spend more than $1 million on his defense, and analysts say the city should expect to spend a similar amount.

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Times staff writer Bill Shaikin contributed to this report.