Kennedy Increases His Productivity

Adam Kennedy batted .300 last season, but the second baseman would hardly consider it a career year. Not when his statistical line included two home runs, 37 runs batted in and 49 runs in 416 at-bats.

“Though .300 is nice, a goal that most players strive for, you like to do it with something behind it,” Kennedy said. “My production level was not real high.”

Kennedy began 2006 determined to boost that production, but as a No. 9 hitter with limited power -- his three-homer effort in Game 5 of the 2002 American League championship series notwithstanding -- he knew he couldn’t do it with the long ball.

“It’s tough for me because I can’t try to drive the ball out of the park -- then I won’t get any production,” Kennedy said. “I have to drive the ball to the gaps.”

That, Kennedy has done -- he has four doubles and a triple to go with one home run. But Kennedy also found another way to boost production: get most of your hits with runners in scoring position.

Kennedy capped a two-run eighth inning Thursday with a two-out RBI single and added a sacrifice fly in the fourth to help the Angels to a 6-4 victory over the Twins.

Kennedy is batting .388 with 12 RBIs and eight runs in 16 games, putting him on pace for 121 RBIs and 81 runs. He’s batting .667 with runners in scoring position.

“Everyone doesn’t get to hit with runners in scoring position, but so far this year, it’s been in my favor,” said Kennedy, who had four hits Wednesday night. “It’s been nice, and I’ve been getting some hits to fall here and there.”

Kennedy, in the final year of a three-year contract, knows he can’t maintain that pace, but he has quieted -- at least temporarily -- those fans who have been clamoring for hot-hitting second baseman Howie Kendrick to be called up from triple A.

“I don’t think that will go away until he’s here,” Kennedy said of Kendrick, who is batting .386 at Salt Lake. “He’s pretty good. He’s not going away.”

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Tim Salmon, sidelined since Sunday because of a groin injury, has taken batting practice for several days and ran full speed Thursday, and he is expected to be available when the Angels begin a three-game series in Oakland tonight.

But Juan Rivera, out since Monday because of tightness in his left rib cage, has not been able to swing a bat, and there is a chance the reserve outfielder/designated hitter will go on the disabled list.

“He’ll swing [today] and we should be able to get a better read on him,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “But it’s been four or five days now, and if he’s not going to be ready in a reasonable amount of time, we’re going to have to do something because with Juan and Tim down, it impacts what we’re trying to do.”

If Rivera goes on the DL, the leading candidates to be recalled from Salt Lake would be Kendrick or Curtis Pride, who is batting .368 in seven games.