Glaus Comes to McPherson’s Defense

Troy Glaus still believes in Dallas McPherson, even if the Angels might not. In the two seasons since they let Glaus walk into free agency and made McPherson their third baseman, the Angels have used eight players at that position.

“If Dallas was able to stay healthy, this wouldn’t be a conversation,” Glaus said Sunday, before he and the Toronto Blue Jays played the Angels.

Glaus, who played in 149 games over his final two seasons in Anaheim, has been in 285 over the last two seasons. McPherson has played in 97, interrupted by hip, back and rib-cage injuries.

“When you’re banged up, you can’t do what you want to do,” Glaus said. “Dallas is a hell of a player. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to stay healthy. I don’t know what their plans are.”

There are no immediate plans to play him. McPherson returns today, in the last group of minor league call-ups, but Manager Mike Scioscia said none of those players would be inserted into the lineup.

As for this winter, the Angels hope to add power at third base or in center field.

In 354 major league at-bats, McPherson has hit a home run once every 20.8 at-bats.

Tim Salmon, the Angels’ all-time home run leader, has homered once every 19.9 at-bats. Juan Rivera has homered once every 24.7 at-bats in his career, Vladimir Guerrero once every 16.4 at-bats and Glaus once every 15.7.

In making their winter plans, however, the Angels won’t count on McPherson.

“He’s had a starting position here twice in the last two years, when we were counting heavily on him, and he was cut short by injuries,” Scioscia said. “I don’t think there’s any question he’s a major leaguer, but there’s still a big question mark about his durability.”

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The Angels and Dodgers last year sold a combined 7 million tickets, a record for baseball’s two-team markets. The Angels and Dodgers each will set attendance records this season, yet the resurgence of the Mets means the New York teams could outdraw the Los Angeles teams.

The Angels and Mets each passed the 3 million mark on Sunday; the Dodgers and Yankees already had gotten there.

Joint metropolitan-area ticket sales, with three weeks to play: New York 6.6 million, Los Angeles 6.3 million. Chicago is a distant third at 5.4 million.

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The hearing at which reliever Brendan Donnelly will formally appeal his suspension is scheduled Friday, Scioscia said. Donnelly might have to serve all four games or might get the suspension reduced to three games, but either way he’ll complete his suspension before the Angels face the AL West’s first-place Oakland Athletics.

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bill.shaikin@latimes.com