Concerns Growing About Injury to Glaus’ Shoulder

Already reeling from a staggering number of injuries, the Angels absorbed another body blow Thursday when an MRI test showed a condition in Troy Glaus’ right shoulder “similar” to the one that ended the third baseman’s 2003 season on July 22.

An MRI test on Glaus’ right knee, injured against the Yankees on Tuesday night, also revealed a sprained ligament, but the bigger concern is Glaus’ shoulder, which he injured diving on Minnesota’s artificial turf April 30.

Glaus, who is batting .296 with an American League-leading 11 home runs and 28 runs batted in, suffered a partial tear in his throwing shoulder last season. The Angels did not say whether Thursday’s test revealed a tear, but General Manager Bill Stoneman is confident this year’s injury isn’t as severe as last year’s.

“Our plan right now is that he’ll be back,” Stoneman said. “We’re not making a roster move, so as of now, we hope he’ll be back sooner than the 15-day disabled list period.... The information I got was that the knee will resolve itself in short order.”

Glaus’ shoulder injury relegated him to designated hitter in his last 10 games, and if he is strong enough to hit, the Angels will be happy to have his bat in the lineup as such. But that means regular DH Tim Salmon, due to come off the disabled list Tuesday, could be without a spot.

One solution would be to move Jose Guillen from left field to center and Salmon, who played plenty of left field in spring training, to left. Utility player Chone Figgins, who has played center in Garret Anderson’s absence, could move to third base on a more permanent basis.

If Glaus has to go on the disabled list, he would join Anderson, Salmon, Darin Erstad and reliever Brendan Donnelly.

“When injuries come in the numbers we’ve had, some people may tend to panic,” Stoneman said. “But we’re still playing good baseball. We’re not going to panic. We’re just going to deal with it.”

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The Angels will never replace the Boston Red Sox atop the New York Yankees’ most-hated rivals list, but they made a strong push for the No. 2 spot this week.

Angel shortstop Alfredo Amezaga’s throw into the face of Yankee catcher Jorge Posada, heated words between Guillen and Yankee reliever Paul Quantrill, and some questionable baserunning involving the Angels’ Adam Kennedy on Wednesday night all contributed to bad blood between the teams.

The Guillen-Quantrill exchange spilled over to Thursday, when Guillen responded strongly to comments Quantrill made after buzzing Guillen with an inside fastball in the eighth inning Tuesday night, a pitch that drew a long, icy glare from Guillen.

“I guess with his 20 years in the league, he didn’t like that, so he decided to stare at me for a while,” Quantrill said. “I told him if he wanted to join me on the mound and discuss it, he could. If he doesn’t want to, he can shut the heck up.”

Guillen, drilled twice in the left wrist in early April, fumed after reading Quantrill’s quote in several New York papers Thursday morning.

“If he’s man enough, we can take our business on the side anytime he wants to,” Guillen said. “He threw inside, and I just looked at him. He’s the one who started talking.... I’m not afraid of anyone, you tell him that. I don’t [care] if he has 20 years in the big leagues.... “

Posada returned to Yankee Stadium on Thursday, after having his broken nose set Wednesday night, and said he felt no ill will toward Amezaga.

“He apologized to me when I was on the ground,” Posada said. “All I got was, ‘I’m sorry,’ and that’s all I need. It’s not like it was intentional.”

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Kennedy was pulled from Thursday’s game in the eighth inning because of leg cramps but said he was OK.

“It was three hours of downpour sweat,” Kennedy said. “My body just ran out of juice.”

Salmon, on the disabled list because of an inflamed left knee, will begin a three-day rehabilitation assignment with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga tonight.

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The Amezaga-Posada play made for some creative headline writing in the New York tabloids. First prize went to the New York Post: “Oh, Nose! Angels break Yankees’ streak, Posada’s beak.”

ON DECK

Opponent -- Baltimore Orioles, three games.

Site -- Camden Yards, Baltimore.

TV -- Channel 9 today and Saturday; ESPN on Sunday night.

Radio -- KSPN (710), KPNQ (1020).

Records -- Angels 23-12, Orioles 16-13.

Record vs. Orioles -- (2003) 1-8.

Friday, 4:30 p.m. -- Bartolo Colon (4-2, 4.09) vs. Kurt Ainsworth (0-1, 7.36).

Saturday, 4 p.m. -- Jarrod Washburn (6-1, 5.14) vs. Eric DuBose (3-2, 4.14).

Sunday, 5 p.m. -- Kelvim Escobar (2-1, 4.88) vs. Sidney Ponson (2-3, 6.80).