Guerrero is activated

NEW YORK -- The Angels had a 10-8 record, scored 5.4 runs per game and managed to stay atop the American League West through the 18 games missed by Vladimir Guerrero.
Still, there were a lot of smiles when the reigning AL Most Valuable Player's name was written on the lineup card Friday night.

Guerrero was officially back on the active roster Friday, with the Angels placing starter Kelvim Escobar on the 15-day disabled list (bone spur in right elbow) to accommodate their No. 3 hitter.

Guerrero, who partially dislocated his left shoulder in a headfirst dive into home plate May 20 in Dodger Stadium, returned with a .303 batting average, seven home runs and 24 RBIs. He took regular batting practice before Friday's game and hit a few monstrous homers.

Even though the Angels have gone the better part of a month without their major masher, manager Mike Scioscia said he didn't necessarily think the team needed any kind of spiritual lift that could be provided with Guerrero's return.

"It'll probably give a bit of an emotional boost, but what we need is production," Scioscia said. "Hopefully, we'll be able to get Vlad swinging the bat like he left off."

Actually, that wouldn't necessarily be such a great thing.

Guerrero had five hits in his last 27 at-bats (.185) with no homers and two RBIs over eight games before he went on the DL.

The Angels were struggling to score runs at the time but have shown signs of coming out of the slump over the last two weeks, making Guerrero's return a timely one.

"I think, offensively, things have picked up, but it's certainly not related to Vlad being out," Scioscia said.

Escobar and Option C: Escobar said the shot of cortisone that he received Thursday during a visit to a Manhattan physician was "Option C" out of four possible options, with "D" being surgery to shave down the bone spur that could keep him out of action for months.

Escobar said the cortisone is a much stronger anti-inflammatory than the ones he's been taking while battling the intermittent pain caused when the spur chafes a tendon in his pitching elbow.

He said he'll sit out the next two weeks and then try to make a go of it for the rest of the season.

"It's my last shot," Escobar said. "I don't know what's next. But [surgery] is the last, last, last, last thing I want to do right now."

Escobar showed up to Spring Training with weakness in his throwing shoulder, then missed the first three weeks of the season with a sprained right elbow.

"It's frustrating," Escobar said. "I've never been through this. I don't think there's much I can do about it. It's something I have, and I have to deal with it."

Scioscia didn't officially confirm it, but the team will recall 22-year-old right-hander Ervin Santana, who went 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA in Escobar's place in May, including a shutout of the Chicago White Sox.

"It'll be good for him and we'll take a good look at him," Escobar said. "We feel good about him. We all know he's a very talented young kid and he can pitch."

The cutting room: Orlando Cabrera showed up with a tight haircut from the barber shop he owns in upper Manhattan, and he also showed up with some pointed words about his own play when he saw that he was batting eighth.

"I [stink]," Cabrera said. "I'm hitting eighth. I [stink]. I'm hitting before the pitcher. That's ninth."

Cabrera hasn't exactly been tearing it up lately. He brought a .240 batting average and 16 RBIs into the game against the New York Mets. Still, Scioscia said it was more about getting his offense to find some kind of consistent balance than anything personal against Cabrera, who has also hit second, third, fifth, sixth and seventh this year.

"Orlando's a guy I know is going to bring us offense along the lines of his [usual] stats," Scioscia said. "But until we find some continuity, some guys are going to have to bounce around a little bit."

DaVanon OK: Scioscia said Jeff DaVanon's broken nose will not land the outfielder on the DL. DaVanon, who sustained the injury Wednesday when a ball caromed off the wall in Atlanta and smacked him in the face, wore a soft cast in the locker room and has a special mask that will allow him to play.

He took early batting practice Friday, ran the bases and shagged fly balls just like any other day.

"He's available," Scioscia said. "We'll try to keep him away from the walls."

On deck: The Angels will play the second game in the three-game set against the Mets on Saturday night at 4:10 p.m. PT, with Jarrod Washburn (3-3, 3.86 ERA) taking the hill against Mets right-hander Kris Benson (4-2, 3.74 ERA).

Source: http://losangeles.angels.mlb.com/