Players Not Panicking About Sluggish Start

These are the times that try teams’ souls, that test the chemistry of even the most unified clubs. It’s easy to get along when you’re winning; it’s not so easy when you’re underachieving, and when a struggling offense is putting too much pressure on the pitching staff.

But while frustrations have mounted and some tension has crept into a usually relaxed and cohesive clubhouse, the Angels aren’t exactly stoking memories of 1999, when player sniping and inner turmoil ripped the team apart.

“We’re all on the same page; it’s just a page we don’t want to be on,” reliever Brendan Donnelly said. “We’re all in this together, trying to turn it around. We have to be patient.”

It helps somewhat that the Angels have gone through this before. Their pitchers carried a sluggish offense for most of 2005 and had a good idea going into this season that they wouldn’t lead the league in run support. It also helps that despite a 14-19 record, they’re only four games out of first in the American League West.

“The way we’ve been playing, we should be 10 games out, but we’re not,” Donnelly said. “Every team has ups and downs, we’re just trying to minimize the downs as much as possible.”

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Center fielder Darin Erstad went on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to May 1, because of a right ankle injury, and Juan Rivera was activated. Erstad has two bone spurs rubbing together in his ankle and will undergo an MRI test in Chicago today. There is a chance Erstad, who hopes to see a foot specialist in Chicago, will need surgery, which would sideline him up to two months.

“That’s the farthest thing from my mind right now,” Erstad said. “I’m just going to wait and see. Hopefully it’s just an irritated tendon, we can calm it down, and everything will be fine.”

Rivera started in left field Monday and will play a lot in center, which will enable Manager Mike Scioscia to get Rivera and designated hitter Tim Salmon in the same lineup.

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The Angels received a scare after Monday’s game when paramedics were called into the clubhouse to treat reliever Scot Shields, who was feeling some pain in his left clavicle area. After being examined for about 10 minutes, Shields emerged from the training room and said, “There’s no story, everything’s fine.”

Scioscia said that because the Blue Jays’ team physician had left Rogers Centre, it is standard operating procedure for paramedics to be called.

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Bartolo Colon, on the DL since April 16, has made significant progress in his recovery from an inflamed shoulder this week, extending his long-toss sessions to 180 feet, and there is a chance he could get back on a mound by this weekend. Colon will need several bullpen sessions, a simulated game or two and a minor league rehabilitation start or two, so his return is still weeks away.

“He seems better, and he’s verbally expressing those feelings every day,” pitching coach Bud Black said. “That’s a great sign.”