ANGELS NOTEBOOK: COLON LOOKS STRONG.

Byline: DOUG PADILLA Staff Writer

Bartolo Colon made his first rehabilitation start for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Thursday morning, throwing 47 pitches against Lancaster in an efficient four innings that he deemed a positive step forward in his return from a shoulder injury that has sidelined him for more than a month.

``At this point I feel like the arm isn't bothering me at all, so I just want to take it easy and hopefully the injury won't come back,'' Colon said through an interpreter while icing his shoulder in the dugout tunnel at The Epicenter. ``The strength is coming little by little. I feel a lot better.''

Colon struck out three batters, walked one and retired eight in a row at one point when Lancaster's Chris Rahl and Carlos Gonzalez managed back-to-back hits on Colon breaking balls with one out in the fourth inning. They were the only two hits Colon surrendered in the outing.

The right-hander retired the next two batters, topped out at 92 mph on the radar gun and said he felt his velocity improving when he left the game.

``The arm usually doesn't warm up until the fourth inning or after,'' said Colon, who added he didn't hold anything back in his outing. ``If I would have gone back out there, the strength and the velocity would have come back.''

Kennedy left hanging: Kelvim Escobar got an offer for a contract extension both in spring training and this past week when he signed a three-year, $28.5 million deal. Adam Kennedy, however, said nobody has called him or his agent.

Kennedy, a Riverside native, would like to stay in Orange County, but that doesn't seem likely. Maicer Izturis and Howie Kendrick are expected to battle for the starting second-base job next season.

Kennedy isn't giving up hope, but he said he won't approach the Angels with any ideas during the season. He will leave any contract talk to his agent and the front office if the opportunity arises.

Getting offensive: The Angels have found a way to be productive over the last week without much help from leadoff man Chone Figgins, who is 18 for 90 (.200) in his past 23games. The Angels have instead been starting rallies from the No. 2 hole, as Orlando Cabrera will take a 12-game hit streak into tonight's game against the Indians. Cabrera has reached base via hit, walk or hit by pitch in 32 consecutive games, the longest active streak in baseball.

Jeff Sanders contributed

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-Doug Padilla