Angels pitching report: Colon and Weaver on track

Facing Cubs Double-A hitters after throwing bullpen and batting-practice sessions, Bartolo Colon yielded one earned run on three hits and fanned two over two innings Tuesday. Colon is scheduled to throw again on March 31 and could be back by May. "He touched 94, and when he gets in that range, you know he's feeling good," manager Mike Scioscia said. "I'm pleasantly surprised with where Bart is."

Jered Weaver worked three scoreless innings against Cubs Triple-A players Tuesday, allowing two hits, walking one and striking out three. He threw 47 pain-free pitches with consistent command. His bout with biceps tendinitis in the rear view mirror, Weaver is zeroing in on an April 16 start in Boston. "Everything felt good," Weaver said. "I snapped off a few good breaking balls. I'm right on schedule."
Source: MLB.com

Figgins out for five to six weeks

The Angels will be without third baseman Chone Figgins for five to six weeks after fractures were found in his right middle finger and right index finger on Friday. He was examined at Anaheim's Kerlan-Jobe Clinic by Dr. Steve Shin, an orthopedic hand specialist, after sustaining the injury on Wednesday in a game against Arizona in Tempe. Figgins, 29, will have a splint on both fingers and will be reexamined in three weeks. "Evidently, it's a tough break for Chone and a tough break for us," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

In Figgins' absence, Maicer Izturis and Robb Quinlan are expected to share time at third base. Figgins was expected to help fuel the offense with his speed and aggression while playing third on a regular basis after shuffling back and forth from the infield to the outfield in recent seasons. Figgins is a .285 career hitter in 547 Major League games. He led the American League in steals with 62 in 2005 and stole 52 last season.
Source: MLB.com

Figgins: Could be questionable for Opening Day

Chone Figgins has a fracture near the tip of his right middle finger and will be examined on Friday. Finger injuries tend to be particularly troubling for basestealers such as Figgins, given the abundance of head-first slides they're forced to make. There was no immediate estimate on whether he'd be ready in time for Opening Day. Angels manager Mike Scioscia said Maicer Izturis and Robb Quinlan would fill in during the speedster's absence.
Source: MLB.com

Jered Weaver: Will open season on 15-day DL

Jered Weaver (biceps tendinitis) will open the season on the 15-day disabled list. Weaver will work in some breaking pitches for the first time this spring in a 50-pitch simulated game Thursday after delivering 45 pitches -- all fastballs and changeups -- in a camp outing on Monday. The 24-year-old right-hander could be ready for a Minor League game on Saturday or Sunday. "Looking at [Weaver's] time frame," manager Mike Scioscia said, "he'll certainly miss his first start but can be folded in shortly after on the 15th or 16th [of April]."
Source: MLB.com

Colon: First Time Facing Live Hitters

Bartolo Colon, threw fastballs against hitters on Sunday for the first time in eight months. In his ongoing recovery from a rotator cuff tear that limited him to 10 starts last year, Colon is under orders to take slow, easy steps. This is what you do with 33-year-old pitchers who have logged 1,876 Major League innings. The 2005 American League Cy Young Award winner, Colon has done everything the club has asked and is on schedule to rejoin the starting rotation early in the season (target is late April). Colon said he was "very happy" with how the ball felt coming out of his hand and that his command was "very good." He got the ball inside but didn't break any bats.
Source: MLB.com

2007 Angels Projected Lineup

2007 Los Angeles Angels

Batting Order

1. CF Gary Matthews
2. SS Orlando Cabrera
3. RF Vladimir Guerrero
4. LF Garret Anderson
5. DH Shea Hillenbrand
6. 1B Casey Kotchman
7. 2B Howie Kendrick
8. C Mike Napoli/Jose Molina
9. 3B Chone Figgins

Figgins held the leadoff spot last season, but hit only .250 there. Matthews looks like a better choice and will get a chance to prove his career year in 2006 was no fluke. Juan Rivera is out until midseason with a broken leg, so the outfield ranks are suspiciously thin. Kendry Morales and Robb Quinlan could see some time at first base. The development of Kendrick and Kotchman is essential to the Angels' improvement on offense — look for both to be hitting higher in the order later in the year.

Rotation

John Lackey
Kelvim Escobar
Jered Weaver
Ervin Santana
*Bartolo Colon
Joe Saunders

*Joe Saunders is expected to hold down a rotation spot until Bartolo Colon returns from a rotator cuff tear, in late April/early May. Also, monitor Jered Weaver's progress--Weaver is making steady progress in his recovery from biceps tendinitis, the Angels conceded the possibility that the second-year right-hander may miss his first regular-season start.

Closer: Francisco Rodríguez

Lackey Should Start Opener For Angels

Although Mike Scioscia hasn't named an opening-day starter, John Lackey was slotted into the rotation on Thursday--putting him in line to start the April 2nd opener against Texas. Lackey was strong in his first spring start, striking out five and walking none in three innings.

Lackey was pretty much a no-brainer with Bartolo Colon to miss the first month of the season. He is in line for another solid year and is one of the more underrated staff aces out there.
Source: Fanball.com

Saunders: In Rotation Until Colon Returns

Joe Saunders gave up two earned runs on five hits, walked one and fanned one over three innings vs. the Giants on Tuesday. Saunders is expected to hold down a rotation spot until Bartolo Colon returns from a rotator cuff tear. Despite the underwhelming stat line, Angels manager Mike Scioscia was happy with the left-hander’s performance. "He made adjustments with first-pitch strikes, and his breaking ball got sharper in the third inning,” said Scioscia. “He threw some real good changeups. He pitched well." Saunders went 7-3 with a 4.71 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP over 13 starts for the Angels in 2006.
Source: MLB.com

Jered Weaver Making Progress

Though Jered Weaver is making steady progress in his recovery from biceps tendinitis, the Angels conceded the possibility that the second-year right-hander may miss his first regular-season start. The best-case scenario has Weaver passing all his tests and being ready for a start on April 6, but the club does not want him pressuring himself to get ready too soon. "What we want to do is take that Opening Day [thought] away from a guy like Jered and say, `We're not targeting this date; we want your shoulder and arm where they need to be," manager Mike Scioscia said. As it stands, Weaver is close to being able to throw off a mound.
Source: MLB.com

Colon Throws Off Mound

Los Angeles Angels right-hander Bartolo Colon threw off a mound Tuesday for the first time this spring training and said he's making progress in coming back from shoulder trouble. Colon did not speak with reporters, but issued a statement through a translator. "I felt very good and comfortable with how everything went and I look forward to my next one," Colon said. Rehabilitating from a tear in his right rotator cuff, Colon threw for 8 minutes as pitching coach Mike Butcher watched in the bullpen. Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia said recently that Colon, the 2005 AL Cy Young Award winner, could be ready to pitch for the Angels sometime in April. Colon was limited to 10 appearances last year, going 1-5 with a 5.11 ERA. His final start came on July 26 against Tampa Bay, when he left the game with a sore right elbow. His season ended on Aug. 4 when he was diagnosed with a partial tear in the rotator cuff.

Keep an eye on Colon's progress throughout the spring and see how he does. Consider Colon for an injured spot to open the season at this point. He's an injury-risk sleeper if taken in the right round.
Source: CBS SportsLine.com

Ervin Santana: Primed For Solid Season

Demonstrating an improved slider and changeup, the Angels’ Ervin Santana threw a pair of scoreless innings in Thursday’s Spring Training matchup with the Royals. Santana won 16 games and finished second in the American League with 7.99 hits allowed per nine innings in 2006 -- all at the tender age of 23. Most owners would be happy if he simply duplicated those numbers in 2007, but the talented right-hander may be primed to take another step forward with the refinement of his secondary pitches.
Source: MLB.com

Angels Move Brandon Wood To Third Base

The Angels have moved Brandon Wood from shortstop to third base. The move isn't necessarily permanent, as the organization still considers Wood a shortstop. Given their lack of depth at third, the Angels believe the switch could accelerate Wood's ascent to the Majors. At 6-foot-3, Wood has bona fide third baseman power, having cranked 68 homers over his last two Minor League seasons. Chone Figgins is slotted to start the 2007 season as the everyday man at the hot corner, but the Angels think Wood can learn the position quickly and take over the job down the road.
Source: MLB.com

Colon Out Until May

RHP Bartolo Colon extended his long-toss throwing program to 120 feet and was "feeling good, making progress," according to Angels manager Mike Scioscia. But the Angels still have not put a timetable on when Colon will make the next step in his recovery from rotator cuff surgery (throwing off a mound) or the long-range target of returning to pitch in a game. LHP Joe Saunders will open the season in the Angels' starting rotation while RHP Bartolo Colon continues his recovery from a torn rotator cuff. Saunders went 7-3 with a 4.71 ERA in 13 starts last season after Colon went down.

Colon reportedly won't make a start in spring training and won't return until at least May, perhaps late May. There are still many dominoes to fall, but consider Colon nothing more than a DL-stashee to open the season at this point. He's an injury-risk sleeper if the price is right, though.
Source: CBS SportsLine.com

Colon Questionable For Opening Day

Angels manager Mike Scioscia said starter Bartolo Colon (rotator cuff) could be on the mound by mid-March. Whether he'll return in time for Opening Day remains questionable, though.

Colon, 33, recently participated in fielding drills and is scheduled to play long toss again from about 110-120 feet. "As he gets out there about 160-170 feet [playing] long toss and then shortens it up on flat ground and feels his arm speed, he'll be ready to get off a mound," Scioscia said. "But that is probably still about a three-week window before you have to decide. He's making progress."
Source: MLB.com