ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Manager Mike Scioscia had a "normal" session with the media this morning, with little talk of the tragic loss of Nick Adenhart. Instead it was back to the more mundane topics of closers and injured starting pitchers.Unfortunately, the Angels' big three injured pitchers -- John Lackey, Ervin Santana and Kelvim Escobar -- are still weeks away from returning.
"We're still looking at May for those guys," Scioscia said. "If we can get them to a plateau, then we can move forward. We've been encouraged by the last couple days."
Escobar, who is still building up his arm strength after last year's shoulder surgery, has pitched in three exhibition games. He had a setback after pitching last Friday in San Diego, but now he's getting ready to get out again in a minor league rehab assignment within the next week. Scioscia said the Angels will not have him skip his rehab assignment and go directly into the rotation to fill the void left by Adenhart.
Scioscia said the Angels aren't going to push Escobar because last year he came back and reinjured himself, resulting in another operation.
Santana, who is out with a bad elbow, is going to get on a mound for a bullpen session within the next few days. Lackey, also out with a sore elbow, has been playing long toss. He is due to throw at a distance of 120 feet next time out.
Because of the unscheduled off day on Thursday following Adenhart's death, and a scheduled off day on Monday, the Angels don't need to replace Adenhart until next Saturday. Scioscia said the Angels will bring up someone from Triple-A to go into the rotation. He said current long reliever Darren Oliver, who has starting experience, is not a candidate because he's too valuable in the bullpen.
Speaking of the Angels bullpen, lost in all the drama of Friday night's emotional return for the Angels was that Scot Shields worked the ninth, with Brian Fuentes still in the bullpen. Fuentes had blown a save in his last outing. Scioscia defused that controversy quickly.
"Brian is still our closer," he said.
Scioscia said he was simply trying to preserve his pitchers, because Shields had thrown only two pitches to finish the eighth. He said he used Shields in similar situations when Francisco Rodriguez was the Angels closer.
