ANGELS NOTEBOOK: MCPHERSON ACCEPTS THE INEVITABLE.

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Dallas McPherson resisted as long as he could, but after two specialists concurred, the Angels' third baseman relented and decided to undergo season-ending surgery on his left hip.

Dr. Thomas Byrd, the Tennessee Titans' team doctor, will perform the arthroscopic procedure, shaving down a bone spur in McPherson's hip, Tuesday in Nashville, Tenn. Byrd's diagnosis was the same as doctors at the Steadman-Hawkins Clinic in Vail, Colo.

``He was trying to play through it, and he really shouldn't,'' manager Mike Scioscia said.

McPherson, who hit .244 with eight homers and 26 RBI in 61 games, also has been bothered by back and groin injuries this season, but they could be related to the hip injury.

Recovery time for the surgery is 12 weeks, so McPherson is expected to be ready by spring training.

``We expect he'll be ready to go,'' Scioscia said, ``but you don't know for sure until you get in there.''

McPherson hit 43 home runs in 2004 (40 in the minors, three with the Angels), which helped make Troy Glaus expendable. Scioscia wouldn't say that McPherson has a lock on the third-base job heading into next spring.

--Finley left out: Steve Finley was on the bench again Friday, as the Angels faced a left-handed starter, Casey Fossum. The Angels are facing four lefties on the six-game trip, limiting Finley's playing time. Scioscia said he hasn't given up on Finley, who is hitting .218 with nine homers and 48 RBI.

``Fin's going to get his opportunities,'' Scioscia said. ``I feel the same about Fin as I did before. If he gets hot, his upside is the best look we could have, and, obviously, we don't want to give up on that.''

--Also: Friday's game was a homecoming of sorts for Casey Kotchman, who grew up 15 minutes from Tropicana Field in Seminole, Fla. ... Garret Anderson started at designated hitter Friday. ``The turf here doesn't agree with a lot of players, and Garret's one of them,'' Scioscia said.