Another Strong Start for Weaver

It’s a problem any major league team would love to have.

The Angels have five starting pitchers throwing well and the 2005 American League Cy Young Award winner poised to come off the disabled list, so when Bartolo Colon returns -- possibly as early as Sunday or Monday -- one of the current starters will be the odd man out.

Or the odd Weaver out.

Rookie Jered Weaver put even more pressure on his older brother, Jeff, the most susceptible of the Angels starters to being traded or demoted to the bullpen, by pitching the Angels to a 6-2 win over Tampa Bay in Tropicana Field on Wednesday. The Angels won two of three from Tampa Bay, the fifth series in a row they have won.

The 23-year-old right-hander gave up two runs and four hits -- including solo home runs by Carl Crawford and Julio Lugo -- in six innings, striking out four and walking none, to win his third in a row since being called up from triple-A Salt Lake and lead the Angels to their 10th win in 14 games.

Weaver, a first-round pick in 2004, gave up four runs and 11 hits, struck out 17 and walked three in 19 1/3 innings of those victories, leaving him with a 1.86 earned-run average and the Angels with a difficult decision when Colon is activated.

Do they send Jered Weaver back to triple A, as they did with Ervin Santana in May 2005 after the right-hander had success in his first month in the majors, and keep Jeff Weaver, who has recovered from his five-game losing streak, in the rotation?

Do they keep Jered in a rotation that has provided 13 quality starts (six innings or more, three earned runs or less) in the last 15 games, and trade Jeff Weaver, who has been linked to rumors with Toronto, or send him to the bullpen? There has also been speculation of a deal that would send Ervin Santana to the Devil Rays for Crawford.

If Jered Weaver goes to Salt Lake -- the most likely scenario -- he won’t be disappointed.

“That’s the way it goes,” Weaver said. “Bartolo is a Cy Young winner. My job was to make it tough on the coaching staff, and I think I’ve done that. If I get sent down, I’ll work hard to get right back up here.”

Clouding the picture is Colon’s troublesome shoulder. The right-hander suffered a slight tear in October, knocking him out of the playoffs, and lasted only two weeks this season before going on the DL.

Even if the Angels had a great offer for Jeff Weaver, they would be hesitant to trade the veteran because they need rotation insurance in case Colon suffers another setback.

“We don’t know how Bart is going to react,” pitching coach Bud Black said. “The situation is tenuous. All indications are that he’s sound, but we won’t know until he makes start after start after start.”

About the only certainty is that if Jered Weaver is bumped from the rotation, he will not go to the bullpen.

“He will go to the Salt Lake rotation because he has to stay stretched out,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “It’s a tough spot for the individuals vying for spots, but it’s good for us when you have five guys throwing well and the Cy Young winner coming back. We have some tough decisions to make, but Jered has shown what he can do here.”

So has rookie catcher Mike Napoli, who appears to be here to stay. Napoli broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning when he followed two-out singles by Juan Rivera and Dallas McPherson by crushing an 0-and-2 Seth McClung curve 12 rows back of the left-field wall for a 3-0 lead.

Napoli, who spent only one month at triple A, is batting .323 with four homers, 11 runs batted in, 11 runs and 11 walks in 23 games and has been solid behind the plate.

“We knew he had the potential to do what we’re seeing,” Scioscia said. “He’s patient at the plate and has a ton of power, but for a youngster to come up after spending only a month at triple A and do what he’s done behind the plate and with the bat says a lot about him.”