Signing Top Draft Pick Will Be Much Easier

There will be no lengthy holdout for the Angels’ first-round pick this year. Hank Conger, the Huntington Beach High catcher who was the 25th overall pick in last week’s draft, has agreed in principle to a bonus of about $1.35 million and is expected to sign with the Angels on Friday, according to a source close to the family.

Conger was scheduled to undergo a physical with the Angels on Tuesday. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound switch-hitter will graduate from high school Thursday, is expected to be in Angel Stadium on Friday for a news conference to announce his signing, and will join the Angels’ rookie-league team in Arizona this weekend.

Negotiations, unlike those with the Angels’ last first-round pick, pitcher Jered Weaver, moved rapidly between the team and the family, primarily because Conger was eager to sign and the Angels made what was considered a fair initial offer, the same $1.35 million that Fresno State pitcher Matt Garza received from the Minnesota Twins as the 25th overall pick last year.

Weaver, the 12th overall pick in the 2004 draft, held out for a year before signing for $4 million a week before the 2005 draft.

“This is what I’ve wanted to do all my life,” Conger said June 6, the day he was drafted. “This is my goal. I want to start playing pro baseball as soon as possible.”

Conger, who had signed a letter of intent with USC, was named Gatorade 2006 California player of the year after batting .449 with 11 home runs, 27 runs batted in and 25 runs in 78 at-bats. He has power from both sides of the plate and an excellent throwing arm.

There has been speculation that Conger eventually would move to third base, first base or the outfield, all positions he has played, but Angels scouting director Eddie Bane said the organization would keep Conger behind the plate for now.

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The Angels plan to fold Bartolo Colon back into their rotation this weekend despite three less-than-overwhelming minor league rehabilitation starts.

In his most recent appearance, Monday for triple-A Salt Lake, Colon gave up nine hits and six runs in seven innings, with his fastball clocked from 87 to 92 mph. In two starts with the Bees, Colon gave up four home runs in 11 2/3 innings and posted a 6.17 earned-run average.

“There’s a lot of different ways to evaluate performances, and it’s not always going to be what the line score says,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “His velocity was good and his late velocity was good. He maintained his stuff, and his command was terrific.”

Scioscia declined to specify which day Colon, recovering from inflammation in his right shoulder, would pitch or whom he would replace. The decision will be difficult considering the recent consistency exhibited by the starters, who had posted quality starts in 15 of 19 games before Tuesday.

“It’s better to have too many guys pitching very well than not enough,” General Manager Bill Stoneman said.

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Ed Munson’s consecutive-games streak as the Angels’ official scorer dating to 1980 is over. Mel Franks, the Cal State Fullerton sports information director, scored Tuesday’s game against Kansas City, ending Munson’s streak of 2,003 games.

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The city of Anaheim filed its legal notice of appeal, the first step in a lengthy process that the City Council hopes will reverse a jury’s finding that the Angels’ name change did not violate their stadium lease.

The two-paragraph notice contains no legal arguments. In previous court documents, Anaheim attorneys provided the basis for the appeal by identifying 21 alleged errors made by Orange County Superior Court Judge Peter Polos during the trial.

The appeal process is expected to take one to two years.

Times staff writer Bill Shaikin contributed to this report.