ANGELS NOTEBOOK: FINLEY IN `HITTING REHAB'.

Byline: Gabe Lacques Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - Steve Finley is immersed in the baseball equivalent of a 12-step program, and the first step is admitting that he is powerless.

``I guess right now you can say I'm in hitting rehab,'' the Angels center fielder said Friday.

It's not by choice. Finley was out of Friday's lineup, will sit out tonight and probably Sunday, too, on the orders of manager Mike Scioscia, who wants the .229-hitting, 40-year-old center fielder to clear his head of bad thoughts and his swing of bad habits.

Finley and Scioscia say his sore right shoulder no longer is a factor, but problems that developed while he compensated for the injury are. You can't hit what you can't see, and Finley says he's simply not seeing the ball right now.

That's only deepened the frustration for Finley, who's in a 5-for-30 rut, hasn't homered since June 10 and was pinch-hit for by Scioscia with the bases loaded in the eighth inning of a 4-1 loss Thursday to Baltimore.

``We have to crawl before we walk and get him in the right direction,'' Scioscia said. ``We're going to try to simplify some approaches, wear some cobwebs out. It is not an overhaul.''

--Hip ailment sidelines Erstad: As anticipated, first baseman Darin Erstad was out of the lineup Friday because of an inflamed hip suffered Thursday. He anticipated it being day-to-day, but Erstad did not take batting practice and was available only for pinch-hitting duty.

--Escobar 'exceptional' in session: Scioscia said pitcher Kelvim Escobar's bullpen session Thursday was ``exceptional'' and that the injured pitcher is on course for an early September return.

Escobar had surgery in June to shave a bone spur in his elbow.

--Also: Third baseman Dallas McPherson is 2 for 7 after two games of a rehab assignment at Class-A Rancho Cucamonga. ... Today's Angels caravan, scheduled for a Buena Park shopping center, has been moved to Angel Stadium at 10 a.m.