ANGELS NOTEBOOK: BACK TO PEN FOR MOSELEY.

Byline: DOUG PADILLA 

Staff Writer

BOSTON -- Dustin Moseley's reward after he takes on the NewYork Yankees tonight will be to find a seat at the end of the bullpen bench.

Moseley's stint as a starter is likely to come to an end once tonight's game is finished. Ervin Santana, who wowed the Angels coaching staff Friday against Boston, will start Thursday against Toronto and the rotation spot looks like it's his to lose.

Moseley wasn't brilliant as a rotation fill-in, but he helped hold things together in the interim. He went 0-1 in his four starts, never throwing more than 51/3 innings in any of them. The Angels went 1-3 in those games, but twice the right-hander allowed three runs or less.

Moseley still is needed today because nobody has enough rest. Kelvim Escobar has the most, but pitched Thursday and needed one more day off. Escobar will take on the Yankees on Tuesday.

Santana was too good Friday for the Angels not to give him another chance to start. He gave up onerun on four hits in 61/3innings just hours after ace John Lackey was crushed by the Red Sox in the first game of a doubleheader.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia stopped short of guaranteeing Santana another start after Thursday, but by all indications he would have to have a meltdown against the Blue Jays not to get another chance.

"Every time you're on a major-league field it's a proving ground," Scioscia said. "Ervin's confidence looks like where it was for a long time, the last couple years, and he matched it with his stuff. He threw the ball lights out."

Aybar injured: Erick Aybar started at second base, but his day was cut short by a hamstring injury. Aybar actually hurt himself making a diving stop on a Mike Lowell grounder in the second inning. He lasted until the seventh before he was replaced.

His injury could land him on the disabled list and put Howie Kendrick back on the roster. That decision is likely to be made official today.

Shields loses form: Scot Shields faced six batters in the four games this weekend and five of them reached base. The usually dependable setup man said he will throw a 15-pitch bullpen session today to see if he can pinpoint some flaws.

Scioscia said after the game that Justin Speier likely will be used in the setup role until Shields finds his form again.

Weaver to remember: Jered Weaver said he will remember David Ortiz's grand-slam strut Saturday the next time he faces the Red Sox.

Scioscia said he does not think that means retaliation is coming in the form of a beanball.

"I think he's going to remember it first of all to make a little better pitch," Scioscia said. "I think he was stung by trying to get a pitch into a zone and he didn't get it there. I didn't take it along the lines of any retaliation and it won't be. That's not what we're about it. And I know Jered didn't mean it that way."

Ortiz did not concern himself with Weaver's reaction, saying that it isn't anything he pays attention to.