Finley Finally Gets Chance to Heal

Steve Finley was put on the 15-day disabled list for the first time in eight years Wednesday, a move the Angels hope will give the 40-year-old center fielder enough time to completely heal from the strained right shoulder he suffered in the third game of the season.

Finley, who received his second cortisone injection of the season Tuesday, has struggled with a .225 batting average and .287 on-base percentage, but not until Tuesday did he reveal that he has played with inflammation and pain since April 7.

“Right now we’re at a point where we have to get this fire put out if he’s going to be productive,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “The only way to do that is to rest it for a period of time.”

Finley said he thought that period would last three or four days, but with the Angels anticipating playing short-handed when reliever Brendan Donnelly begins his suspension and shortstop Orlando Cabrera out because of an inflamed elbow, the Angels could not afford another active player who was hurt. They recalled outfielder Curtis Pride from triple-A Salt Lake to replace Finley.

“It’s more a product of the suspension,” Finley said. “Orlando’s elbow is hurting, but it looked like my [injury] will take longer [to heal] than his. This will give me the chance to get rid of this for good.”

Finley suffered the injury crashing into the wall attempting to catch Ranger second baseman Alfonso Soriano’s home run and has struggled since to regain his swing mechanics. There is a slight chance the small tear in his shoulder could require surgery after the season.

“My shoulder hit the wall, and the next day my swing was different than the day before,” Finley said. “I tried to make adjustments to compensate for the injury, but you get to a certain point where your body is going to tell you that’s enough. I ran into a wall -- literally and figuratively.”

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His second day as a professional baseball player was almost as eventful as the first for pitcher Jered Weaver, the Angels’ 2004 first-round pick who signed for $4 million on May 30.

Weaver, who gave up one run and three hits in three innings of his debut for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga on Monday, was ejected in the sixth inning of Tuesday’s game against Lake Elsinore for alleged taunting and making gestures toward the umpiring crew.

“Somebody said something that he was acting like he was flipping a coin [at the umpires],” Quakes’ Manager Ty Boykin told the North San Diego County Times. “Somebody also said something about him holding up two bats and making bunny ears -- I don’t know.”

Angel General Manager Bill Stoneman was unaware of the incident because “it wasn’t mentioned in the verbal report” he received.

“Whatever it was, it happened on Ty Boykin’s club,” Stoneman said. “As long as he handles it properly, I don’t think it’s a big deal.”

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Cabrera played catch and took batting practice before Wednesday night’s game, and Scioscia said he should be ready to play Friday against the Dodgers.... Donnelly said he thought the appeal of his 10-day suspension for having pine tar on his glove would be heard Friday, “but nothing is set in stone,” he said. Scioscia said the hearing could be pushed to next week.