Erstad Likely to Go on the Disabled List

Darin Erstad suffered a setback after testing his injured right ankle Friday and probably will be put on the 15-day disabled list in the next few days. There is also a chance the center fielder will need surgery to shave down two bone spurs in the ankle, a procedure that could sideline Erstad for about two months.

“Right now, I don’t know what the plan is -- we’re in uncharted territory as far as that goes,” Erstad said, alluding to the possibility of surgery. “But we’re getting to a point where we need to know what’s going on. I go out, run a bit, sit down, and it flares back up again. It’s like picking a scab.”

The Angels are trying to arrange for Erstad, who received a cortisone shot last week, to see a foot specialist in Chicago on Tuesday. Another X-ray taken in Detroit last week revealed nothing more than the two bone spurs that were discovered in spring training. Erstad sat out his sixth consecutive game Saturday.

“It’s still pretty tender,” Manager Mike Scioscia said of the ankle. “If he doesn’t make any significant progress in the next few days, we’ll consider putting him on the DL. We’re getting a little thin on bodies.”

Left fielder Garret Anderson also sat out Saturday’s game, in part because his strained left arch was a little sore, in part because Scioscia wanted to get him off the hard artificial turf at the Rogers Centre for another day. Anderson started at designated hitter Friday night.

“It hasn’t been acting up -- it hasn’t been getting worse,” Anderson said. “But this turf doesn’t give, so it’s going to put a little more stress on it when you run.”

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Some of reliever J.C. Romero’s numbers look pretty good. The left-hander has limited left-handed batters to three hits in 18 at-bats, has stranded all eight of his inherited runners and limited opponents to a .238 average.

But those numbers belie a slump that has all but relegated Romero to mop-up duty, which was hardly the role the Angels envisioned for Romero when they acquired him from Minnesota last winter.

In his last seven appearances, Romero has given up 10 earned runs, eight hits and nine walks in 6 2/3 innings. He has a 7.71 earned-run average for the season and has walked more batters (12) than he has struck out (11).

“Right now, his command is putting him behind the eight-ball,” Scioscia said, “but he’ll find it.”

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The Angels got some encouraging offensive news Saturday, but it came out of Salt Lake. Juan Rivera, out since April 17 because of a rib-cage injury, on Friday was four for five with a home run, two doubles and six runs batted in for triple-A Salt Lake in his first rehabilitation start.

Rivera, who played center field, will remain in Salt Lake for the weekend and is expected to be activated for Tuesday night’s game in Chicago.