Erstad Takes First Step in Return

You’re the Angels, it’s the last weekend of the season, and you’re leading Oakland by a run in the eighth inning of a game to determine the American League West championship. Whom do you want playing first base? Howie Kendrick, Robb Quinlan or ... Darin Erstad?

That’s a no-brainer. Erstad, a Gold Glove-winning first baseman in 2004, took what he hopes is the first step toward giving the Angels an attractive late-game defensive option by fielding ground balls and taking batting practice for the first time in a month Tuesday.

Erstad, limited by a right ankle injury to five games since May 1, plans to put off surgery to shave down a bone spur and repair a ligament in his ankle in hopes of returning in September.

He removed the walking boot he wore for two weeks and began jogging lightly, “but the training wheels are still on,” Erstad said. “I’m taking it day by day. It feels good today. We’ll see how it feels tomorrow.”

Erstad began this season in center field, but Manager Mike Scioscia thinks first base would be less taxing on his ankle, “and he could play an important role on the defensive end,” Scioscia said. “We have a more pressing need at first.”

Kendrick, meanwhile, continues to refine his skills at first, a position he had never played before this season. A second baseman by trade, Kendrick is working daily with infield coach Alfredo Griffin, practicing his footwork around the bag, his flips to the pitcher and how to properly stretch for throws from the infield.

“First base is a more demanding position than people realize, if you do it right,” Scioscia said. “And if you’re going to play in Alfredo Griffin’s infield, you’re going to do it right.”

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Another potential option at first is Dallas McPherson, a third baseman who has been playing exclusively at first since resuming his minor league rehabilitation assignment at triple-A Salt Lake last week.

McPherson, whose rehab stint was interrupted by a recurrence of a lower-back injury, could be activated as early as next week, giving the Angels another potential power bat from the left side.

“The roster we have now is giving us a lot of depth, but Dallas’ swinging the bat well would certainly be something we’d look at closely,” Scioscia said. “We’re going to need that depth. It’s important for him to show he’s healthy and to find the rhythm of his swing.”

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There has been no announcement, but Casey Kotchman’s season appears to be over. The first baseman remains in Florida recovering from the symptoms of mononucleosis, and Scioscia acknowledged there is virtually no chance he will play again in 2006.

“Casey would have to be back in baseball activity now to have any chance of coming back,” Scioscia said. “We’re past the point where he can get to where he needs to be.”

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Vladimir Guerrero’s second-inning homer Tuesday gave him 96 homers and 322 runs batted in as an Angel, the best numbers in the first three seasons as an Angel in club history, topping Don Baylor, who had 95 homers and 313 RBIs from 1977 to ’79.