Matthews, Guerrero get preemptive rest

In preparation for a stretch of nine straight games in National League parks, where there will be no designated hitter, Angels Manager Mike Scioscia gave center fielder Gary Matthews Jr. Wednesday off and used right fielder Vladimir Guerrero as designated hitter.

Combined with today’s off day, Matthews, who started all but one of the first 60 games, will get two full days off, and Guerrero, the team’s top hitter, will get two days off his feet. The team begins a trip to St. Louis, Cincinnati and Dodger Stadium on Friday.

The Angels don’t lose much defensively without Guerrero, and the slugger needs more time at DH to preserve his knees and lower back.

But take Matthews out of the mix, and the Angels lose one of the premier center fielders in the game, a player who has robbed opponents of countless runs this season with spectacular catches and a strong throwing arm.

Does that make resting Matthews even tougher? “If you risk losing him for four weeks, it’s not hard to do,” Scioscia said. “You have to balance need with maintenance. He could probably stretch himself, but he played all last week, and it’s important for him to recharge mentally and physically. This is a good day to take going into a road trip with no DH days.”

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Angels fans shouldn’t get too excited about the first round of today’s baseball draft being televised for the first time by ESPN2. The team doesn’t have a first-round pick.

The Angels lost their top pick (24th overall) to the Texas Rangers as compensation for signing Matthews, and their second-round pick to Toronto for signing reliever Justin Speier.

The Angels did get a sandwich pick between the first and second rounds as compensation for St. Louis’ signing second baseman Adam Kennedy, and that 58th pick will be their first selection today. They won’t pick again until the third round, 118th overall.

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Despite Wednesday’s loss, there were more encouraging signs for the Angels’ offense. Mike Napoli, who was hitting .183 with one homer and three runs batted in May 6, had run-scoring singles in the second and third innings and now has 18 RBIs in his last 18 games. The catcher is batting .263 with seven homers and 21 RBIs.

First baseman Casey Kotchman had an RBI double in the third inning and a single in the fifth and went 11 for 29 with three homers on the homestand to improve to .315 with seven homers and 29 RBIs on the season.

Second baseman Howie Kendrick, who had been mired in a one-for-24 slump, went four for 12 against the Twins, with a solo home run in the sixth inning Wednesday, pushing his average from .236 to .248.

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Twins second baseman Luis Castillo dropped shortstop Jason Bartlett’s routine throw to second on Guerrero’s fielder’s-choice grounder in the first inning, ending Castillo’s 143-game errorless streak, a major league record for second basemen. Castillo’s last error came May 29, 2006, in Angel Stadium.... Angels pitcher Bartolo Colon, who missed Saturday’s scheduled start against Baltimore because of triceps tendinitis, felt good enough to complete a bullpen workout Tuesday, and Scioscia said the right-hander will make his next start Friday at St. Louis.

mike.digiovanna@latimes.com