ANGELS NOTEBOOK: ERSTAD TAKES A DAY TO LIFT HIS OUTPUT.

ANAHEIM - Darin Erstad was not in the starting lineup Wednesday night and did not play for the first time since April 28-29, when he missed two games because of a strained right knee.

However, Erstad didn't skip Wednesday's game because of anything physical. In fact, he spent the hour-and-a-half between batting practice and game time working out in the weight room.

``It's just something to try to get him to relax,'' manager Mike Scioscia said of the day off.

Erstad has only four hits in his past 33 at-bats, dropping his season average to .259. It's been a remarkable drop from last year's performance, which was a remarkable rise from 1999.

Erstad hit .253 in '99, raised it 102 points to .355 last year and now is down 96 points. Though that might be reason for concern, Scioscia downplays it.

``He brings a lot more to the club than just pure stats,'' Scioscia said. ``The intensity, the focus, and he's still getting on base and scoring runs. All that is important.''

Scioscia added that batting average alone is not as important a statistic as runs and RBI. But Erstad is down in those categories, too.

``He takes it hard,'' Scioscia said. ``He's as driven as any player I've played with or against. But sometimes it can be a double-edged sword.''

Erstad is eligible for arbitration after this season and eligible for free agency after 2002, but the Angels would like to secure him to a multiyear deal before it comes to that.

The Angels might have some leverage in arbitration because of the season Erstad has had, but general manager Bill Stoneman looks at the process as a last resort.

``It's certainly not a tasteful way to do business,'' he said. ``But if you can't accomplish it by negotiating, it's a way to get it done.''

--Rapp relocation: The Angels are pitcher Pat Rapp's sixth team in the past five seasons and he expects to be wearing another uniform next season, as well. It's not that Rapp doesn't like his teammates, it's that he's been in this situation before.

He's a stop-gap fill-in for the club, a No. 5 starter who bridges the gap for pitchers being developed within the organization. The Angels believe they have others in the organization who can step in next season to join the rotation.

And it doesn't help his cause that he's 5-11, despite a decent ERA of 4.57.

``They told me straight up to put up innings and stay healthy, and that's what I did,'' said Rapp, who is tied for the team lead with 27 starts and has pitched 161 1/3 innings. ``But it's about your record, not any other numbers. And I haven't been lucky.''

ANGELS vs. KANSAS CITY 

Time: 7:05 p.m. at Edison Field.

TV/Radio: Fox Sports Net; 570-AM, 1090-AM (Spanish).

Matchup: Scott Schoeneweis (10-9, 5.16 ERA) will start for Anaheim against Kansas City's Paul Byrd (6-6, 3.67). Schoeneweis hasn't won since Aug. 16 against Detroit. In his three starts since, he's allowed 18 runs in 14 1/3 innings.

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ANGELS vs. KANSAS CITY (see text)