ANGELS NOTEBOOK: INJURED MOLINA DEFENDS HIMSELF ON WEIGHT ISSUE.

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - Catcher Bengie Molina ended his boycott of the print media Friday, about four months after an article or articles calling him fat and out of shape angered him.

Molina, listed at 5-foot-10, 220 pounds, spent much of the offseason working solely on his legs because recovery from surgery on a broken wrist prevented him from doing upper body work. He said he came to spring training in good shape, but a hamstring injury and general soreness in his legs kept him out of much of camp and then the season's first seven games.

The reason for the leg problems was dehydration and not his weight, according to Molina.

``It was very frustrating,'' Molina said. ``(The articles) bothered me because it's telling the fans I'm overweight when I busted my butt all offseason. Now the fans see me in a different way.

``It doesn't bother me what (reporters) write about me if it's about baseball, if I don't do my job. But the personal stuff, after I worked out so hard all winter. ... Everybody read it. It's frustrating because some people don't understand what the situation was.''

Molina is currently on the disabled list with a broken index finger on his right (throwing) hand. He played catch on Friday but isn't expected to be ready when he's eligible to come off the disabled list on Tuesday.

Molina also spent two weeks on the DL in June with a strained calf and has played in only 65 games this season. While he has been in the lineup, he has produced - he's hitting .289 with eight homers and 41 RBI. He's been the team's best clutch hitter, batting .407 (11 for 27) with two outs and runners in scoring position.

Molina said he's happy with his weight as it is. In fact, he believes it's helped him in home-plate collisions recently. Last year, he was run over by Oakland's Jermaine Dye and Kansas City's Ken Harvey. On both occasions, Molina hung onto the ball for the out and the baserunners were injured, Dye with a separated shoulder and Harvey with a broken hand.

``If I'm skinny,'' Molina said, ``I'm the one who gets crushed. ... I feel if I was overweight, I would not have been able to accomplish what I have all these years.''

--Time off: Second baseman Adam Kennedy, his average down to .255, was benched for Friday's game and will sit out tonight's game.

--Prospect parks it: Top pitching prospect Ervin Santana will sit out the remainder of the minor-league season and try to get back on the mound when Instructional league play begins Sept. 16.

Santana was 2-1 with a 3.30 ERA in eight starts for Double-A Arkansas when he was put on the DL with elbow tendinitis, something that had bothered him during spring training. During his rehab, Santana injured his hamstring and Angels director of player development Tony Reagins decided to shut down Santana for the season.

--Loose ends: Jarrod Washburn, out with a strained ligament in his rib cage, played catch on Friday. But there is no timetable for his return. ... Garret Anderson, hit by a pitch on the shin Thursday, started at designated hitter on Friday.

Joe Haakenson, [phone]

joe.haakenson(at)sgvn.com

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- Joe Haakenson