ANGELS NOTEBOOK: ESCOBAR FINDS HIS WAY TO DL.

Byline: DOUG PADILLA

Staff Writer

BOSTON -- Everything else has seemingly bothered Kelvim Escobar over the last three seasons, so why not a new malady?

Escobar will miss today's start and was put on the 15-day disabled list Friday, retroactive to April 9, with shoulder irritation.

Greg Jones was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake to fill out the roster.

The injury occurred during the first inning Sunday against Oakland, but Escobar said nothing and continued to pitch.

"I think it was when I (struck out) Mike Piazza," Escobar said. "After that pitch, I felt a little pinch in my shoulder. It's in the front of my shoulder."

The right-hander thought that he could possibly avoid the DL by skipping one start, but that's not how manager Mike Scioscia saw it.

"Right now, we'll pencil him for Wednesday of next week which will only push it back three days or so from where he would have been if he (skipped a start and) didn't go on the DL," Scioscia said.

It is the fifth time since the start of 2005 that Escobar has been on the disabled list. Other reasons he has been out of action: elbow surgery, bone spur in the elbow, sprained elbow and elbow irritation.

Escobar also was affected by tendinitis in his right knee last season, an injury that carried over into the spring. He also had blister and fingernail issues last season. The knee had felt better of late.

"I was doing good with my exercises and treatments," Escobar said. "Now for this to happen I'm like, 'Man, what can I do?' I worked pretty hard. It's not like I'm lazy. I do all of my exercises and I take care of myself. I don't think there is anything you can do. I don't know if it's mechanics."

Hector Carrasco will take Escobar's spot in the rotation today opposite the Boston Red Sox's Curt Schilling.

It will be Carrasco's first start of the season after starting three game last year.

Early riser: Nothing like being a young, single ballplayer. Jered Weaver was asked if, to make his 10 a.m. start Monday against the Red Sox, wouldn't it just be easier to stay up all night and then go pitch?

"Do an all-nighter? It wouldn't be anything unusual, I guess," the Simi Valley High grad said.

Weaver was supposed to pitch Monday opposite Red Sox rookie sensation Daisuke Matsuzaka, but Boston's postponed game Thursday changed that.

The Red Sox altered their rotation so that Matsuzaka will pitch again Tuesday at Toronto. Weaver will face Julian Tavarez instead.

CAPTION(S):

box

Box:

ANGELS at BOSTON

-- Doug Padilla