BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Janicki Agrees to 3-Year Contract

UCLA pitcher Pete Janicki, the Angels’ first-round pick and eighth overall in the June draft, has agreed to a three-year contract after prolonged negotiations, The Times has learned. An official announcement of his signing is expected Monday.

Janicki, who attended El Dorado High in Placentia, had to drop out of the U.S. Olympic trials because of a sore arm. He was found to have a stress fracture and has not pitched since. However, he said he has recovered and is staying in shape by playing tennis. He will work out at UCLA over the next few months--where he will also take some classes--and he expects to participate in the annual preseason pitchers’ workouts at Anaheim Stadium in January.

“Everything’s squared away and I’m really happy,” Janicki said Thursday. “We got things pretty much hammered out Tuesday. We just have to nail down the wording . . . and once it’s all written out, I’m going to sign.”

He said the talks “got scary” when the Angels indicated his injury might deter them from signing him.

“It would have been their loss,” he said. “Finally we got everything straightened out. I’m glad we got it done and I hope everything goes smoothly.”

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Minnesota center fielder Kirby Puckett, who trails AL batting leader Edgar Martinez by 14 points, said he will “just keep swinging away” with Seattle’s third baseman out for the season because of a shoulder injury.

“They could throw my momma out there and I’ll just keep swinging,” said Puckett, who is batting .329. “It’s not impossible. I know it’ll be tough. I’ve got to get three, four hits a day.”

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If Tim Salmon’s sprained left wrist doesn’t improve enough for him to play during this home stand, he probably won’t play again this season.

Salmon, who has not had a plate appearance in 10 games, felt some discomfort Thursday while hitting against the Angels’ coaches. “If he doesn’t go backward we’ll let him swing and take him on the road trip,” Manager Buck Rodgers said. “If he does go backward, we’ll leave him home and re-evaluate. We’re closing into the last two weeks of the season and if he can’t play for another week, there’s no point to him coming back for a week.”

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Bryan Harvey, who underwent surgery on his right elbow, said he has been throwing without any ill effects. However, he is likely to taper off until the winter months. “I’m going to wait a little bit,” he said.