Spring Training / Angels : Zahn May Miss Freeway Series With ‘Tired’ Shoulder

PALM SPRINGS —  The Angels broke camp here Thursday with no apparent decision on their fourth and fifth starting pitchers.

There was, however, some new concern about one of the three pitchers known to be in the rotation.

Geoff Zahn, scheduled to start Saturday night’s Freeway Series game with the Dodgers and then face Minnesota in the second game of the regular season Wednesday night, is nursing a sore shoulder.

Zahn has pitched 22 exhibition innings and thinks his shoulder is simply tired. He may not start Saturday night, however.

“I don’t consider it serious,” he said. “I think it’s only tired. I’ve cut back the last two days, but if it’s not 100% Saturday I won’t pitch. I was only going to pitch a couple of innings anyway.

“I just don’t want to start the season with it tired. I don’t want to pile on top of the tiredness and risk something serious (by pitching Saturday night).”

Manager Gene Mauch said he would wait until Saturday before deciding.

“The extra inning or two isn’t necessarily going to do him any good,” Mauch said.

“Geoff doesn’t think there’s anything wrong, but he doesn’t want to create a situation where there might be something wrong.”

There was plenty wrong Thursday, although the Angels beat San Diego, 12-10, closing out their Palm Springs encampment. They will head for Los Angeles after compiling a 14-12 record.

Mauch said it wasn’t a pretty effort by either team, calling it a typical getaway game.

“We couldn’t catch it and we couldn’t throw it,” he said. “The pitching wasn’t very sharp either, but the defense didn’t help it.

“Probably the best thing to do would be to throw it out.

“I just wish we had more time so that I could be more comfortable about throwing it out.”

Mauch was alluding to Tuesday’s season opener and his disappointment with Bob Kipper’s pitching performance. A strong effort by Kipper might have helped solidify the uncertain rotation.

Kipper, the left-hander who was 18-8 in the Class-A California League and who had allowed just one earned run in 11 exhibition innings, was tagged for seven hits and seven earned runs in two innings. His earned-run average soared to 5.27.

“I still feel my chances are good, but it’s up to them,” the 20-year-old Kipper said. “I’ve pitched some good ball this spring. I’ve proved I can pitch (at the major league level). I don’t think one bad outing should be decisive. At least, I hope it’s not.”

Mauch said that Kipper’s abbreviated stint may allow the Angels to take another look at him either Saturday or Sunday against the Dodgers. He would not say what he was thinking about the fourth and fifth starting positions. Jim Slaton, Tommy John, Craig Swan and Kipper are thought to be the candidates.

Will John’s strong statement regarding the decision process orchestrated by owner Gene Autry’s wife, Jackie, and General Manager Mike Port affect his candidacy?

Port said Thursday that it wouldn’t, that John will be on the staff if Port and Mauch think he should be.

“I think our fans would rather have us put together the best staff possible and deal with the other aspects later,” Port said.

Angel Notes Bobby Grich went 3 for 3, hit safely in 14 of his 17 Cactus League starts and will take a .500 average (22 for 44) into tonight’s game at Dodger Stadium. . . . Gary Pettis drove in three runs with a pair of singles in five at-bats. . . . Rafael Lugo’s bid for a spot in the Angel rotation ended in disappointment. He went four innings Thursday for a total of only 4 innings in his last two starts, allowing 10 hits and seven runs. Lugo was 12-8 in the Double-A Eastern League last year.