ANGELS NOTEBOOK: CABRERA OUT TILL SUNDAY.

Byline: DOUG PADILLA Staff writer

ANAHEIM-- Matching Derek Jeter grounder for grounder always is a thrill for Orlando Cabrera, he just has to wait a day or two to do it in this series.

Cabrera was a late scratch from the Angels lineup because of a cracked fingernail suffered in Thursday's game against the Boston Red Sox. Erick Aybar, who was recalled after Thursday's game in case Cabrera could not play, started at short and batted ninth.

During his first-inning at-bat Thursday, Cabrera squared around to bunt against the Red Sox starter Josh Beckett and the was hit by a pitch on his right index finger.

Cabrera was not awarded first base and didn't even argue to get it.

Instead, he got right back into the batter's box and hit a double to right-center field. Upon reaching second base, Cabrera took off his batting glove and saw blood.

``He took his batting glove off and that stuff was spouting out,'' manager Mike Scioscia said. ``He was able to stay in the game but overnight those things start to swell and hurt more.''

Scioscia said Cabrera might miss today's game as well but should be ready to play Sunday. The last Angels player to suffer from a cracked fingernail was pitcher Kelvim Escobar in April.

``It's different when you're a pitcher than an infielder,'' Scioscia said. ``As an infielder I'm sure it's going to be short term. We'll see how it is day to day but today it's a little too sore.''

With 84 1/3 innings pitched for the Angels this season, Jered Weaver is at 161 1/3 innings when combined with his numbers at Triple-A Salt Lake.

The workload is a concern since Weaver pitched just 76 innings last season along with seven starts in the Arizona Fall League. He didn't pitch at all in 2004 as he sat out during his contract negotiation with the Angels.

``We're going to let him show us what he can do,'' Scioscia said. ``One thing we are not going to do is stretch him into any area that we consider an at-risk area or grey area.''

Angels third-base coach Dino Ebel had no regrets a day after Juan Rivera was thrown out at home plate, eliminating what would have been the tying run.

``With no outs there I have to be 100 percent sure that he can make it,'' Ebel said Friday. ``But it took a perfect throw.''

Had Rivera scored in the seventh inning on Thursday against the Red Sox, the score would have been tied and Jered Weaver would have received a no-decision. Instead he ended up with the first defeat of his career.

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