Advertisement

Dan Haren doesn’t figure to miss a start

Share

Dan Haren felt fortunate for someone who had taken a line drive off his pitching forearm.

One inch lower, the Angels newcomer was told, and it could have hit him directly on the bone.

“I guess I got lucky,” Haren said Tuesday, one day after Kevin Youkilis’ fifth-inning line drive left only a bruise on his right forearm.

Haren said he “should be on track” to make his next scheduled start Saturday against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium after X-rays and an examination by team orthopedist Lewis Yocum revealed no serious damage.

Haren tested the arm during what he described as a more vigorous throwing session than he usually makes on days after his starts, using all his pitches without restrictions. He said he felt stiff, but the longer he threw, the more the area loosened up.

“If this is as bad as it’s going to feel, it should be fine by the time Saturday rolls around,” said Haren, who was wearing a protective sleeve on his forearm.

Haren said he would throw a bullpen session Wednesday before returning to Phoenix to retrieve some of his belongings from when he pitched for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He would then receive treatment and throw at the Angels’ spring training facility in Tempe, Ariz., to stay on pace for his next start.

For rent

Owner Arte Moreno has often expressed his disdain for the “rental player,” a veteran who is acquired in July or August despite the possibility of losing that player to free agency in the winter.

But General Manager Tony Reagins said Tuesday that he has not ruled out the possibility of trading for one — much like he did when he acquired Mark Teixeira in 2008 — in his pursuit of a bat before Saturday’s non-waiver trade deadline.

Among the two most prominent power-hitting rentals are Washington first baseman Adam Dunn and Houston first baseman Lance Berkman.

“We believe at times it’s appropriate, and at times it’s not appropriate,” Reagins said. “It depends on the needs you have to fill and what you have to give up. You can’t limit yourself. If an opportunity makes sense, you have to pursue it.”

Recall notice?

Center fielder Peter Bourjos is on a tear at triple-A Salt Lake, batting .469 (23 for 49) with three home runs and five doubles in his last 10 games, and his move to left field Sunday and Monday could be an indication the Angels are preparing to call him up.

But Reagins said the move “is part of the development process” for Bourjos, who is batting .312 with 11 homers, 10 doubles, 12 triples and 27 stolen bases in 96 games.

“If he gets here, that could be a role for him,” Reagins said. “We’re not going to limit ourselves.”

Nice try

Even though he acknowledged feeling “a little groggy,” Torii Hunter was back in center field one day after he slammed into the outfield wall in the second inning while trying to catch a ball off the bat of Adrian Beltre that fell for a triple.

“When I hit the wall, I was dazed and kind of out of it,” said Hunter, who initially thought he had caught the ball. “I focused and saw [Beltre] still running hard and I’m like, man, where’s the ball? I guess it dropped below me.”

See you tomorrow

Erick Aybar, who had started the Angels’ last 26 games before Tuesday, received the day off. Maicer Izturis took Aybar’s spot atop the batting order and at shortstop.

ben.bolch@latimes.com

mike.digiovanna@latimes.com

Buy Angels tickets here


Clicking on Green Links will take you to a third-party e-commerce site. These sites are not operated by the Los Angeles Times. The Times Editorial staff is not involved in any way with Green Links or with these third-party sites.


Advertisement