Weaver Doesn’t Need to Relive Last Outing

Jeff Weaver is coming off the worst start of what has so far been a disappointing season, but as the Angel right-hander determines what adjustments to make before Wednesday’s game in Detroit, he won’t evaluate tapes from Friday’s 8-5 loss to the White Sox, in which he gave up eight runs and eight hits in 2 1/3 innings.

“After a start like that, you don’t really want to go back and look at it,” said Weaver, who is 1-3 with a 7.48 earned-run average and has allowed opponents to hit .316. Instead, he says, he’ll “analyze it,” talk with pitching coach Bud Black and “get some ideas on what to do different.”

Weaver is a sinker-ball specialist who induces ground-ball outs by pitching away to right-handers and in to left-handers, but this season, those pitches have resulted in too many fly balls and line drives. That problem, Weaver said, can be addressed by adjusting the placement of his foot on the rubber.

A tougher adjustment has been the transition back to the American League after two seasons with the Dodgers.

“The more information I get, the better I usually am, but right now I’m seeing guys for the first time in a long time, and it takes time to interpret information properly,” Weaver said. “But at the same time, I’m making some poor pitches.”

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Darin Erstad was scratched Monday night because of an irritated right ankle, an injury that sidelined the center fielder for a week in spring training.

The fact the Athletics had an irritating left-hander -- Barry Zito -- pitching and that Erstad has three hits in his last 24 at-bats, his average sinking to .238, probably made the decision a little easier.

Erstad, who has a bone spur in his ankle, was replaced by Chone Figgins, who was scheduled for his first day off after playing all but three innings of the first 25 games. With Figgins hitting .107 (three for 28) against Zito and a day game coming today, Manager Mike Scioscia thought Monday was a good night to give Figgins a break.

Figgins, who entered Monday with a .268 average, 23 runs and, strangely enough, a team-leading 22 strikeouts, wasn’t thrilled to see his name among the reserves on the lineup card.

“I feel good enough to play,” he said. “I should be in there.”

After batting practice, he was, bumping Orlando Cabrera from the leadoff spot into his customary second position and dropping Robb Quinlan from second to seventh.

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Reserve outfielder Juan Rivera, sidelined since April 17 because of a rib-cage strain, hit soft toss Monday and is scheduled to begin batting practice Wednesday. He could be activated or begin a minor league rehabilitation assignment this weekend.

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Kelvim Escobar, who will sit out his next start because of a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand, is tentatively scheduled to return on May 9 against the White Sox. That would bump Kevin Gregg, who will start in Escobar’s place Thursday, back to the bullpen.