ANGELS NOTEBOOK: NO MORE MR. USELESS SCHOENEWEIS EAGER FOR RETURN WEDNESDAY.

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas - The last time Scott Schoeneweis pitched in a major-league game, he was near tears in the clubhouse in Baltimore afterward, knowing he was headed to the disabled list with a strained rib-cage muscle.

That was June 16. Five weeks later, Schoeneweis was all smiles in the clubhouse as he talked about his return to the rotation, which will be Wednesday against the Texas Rangers. He could laugh about the nickname he acquired while on the disabled list - Mr. Useless.

The nature of Schoeneweis' injury didn't allow him to do much of anything because it hurt whenever he moved.

``I couldn't do anything,'' said Schoeneweis, who is 5-5 with a 5.08 ERA in 14 starts. ``The world goes on without you. I didn't feel part of the team.''

But Schoeneweis said he was able to cope with it easier when he reflected on his past - he overcame testicular cancer when he was in college, and he also had elbow surgery.

``I remembered back to how I used to deal with stuff when it was serious,'' he said. ``It's a double-edged sword. (The injury) is not that bad, but I thought I had my fair share of things going on, injuries and stuff. It's just one more thing that adds fuel to the fire. It makes you a better person, a better competitor.''

Schoeneweis said he also gets inspiration from veteran pitcher Tim Belcher, who is on the disabled list.

``I watch Belcher every single day,'' Schoeneweis said. ``He's been hurt the last year or two and nobody in the clubhouse works harder. It's a testament to his makeup. We might not talk about it, but I want to be like that when I'm 38 years old.''

--Hands-off policy: Manager Mike Scioscia said he'd prefer not to tinker with the batting order if possible. Although players like clean-up hitter Tim Salmon and No. 5 hitter Garret Anderson have struggled for extended periods this season, Scioscia is not quick to shake things up.

``If you have the guys we have and you like the chemistry of the lineup, you'd like to keep it as stable as you can,'' he said. ``You can get to a point where you'd like to be more productive, but I don't think we're there. It's not like we're mired in a lack of productivity.''

--Odds and ends: Shortstop Benji Gil returned to Orange County on Monday to be with his wife Carly, who was scheduled to have labor induced. It is the couple's first child. . . . Outfielder Orlando Palmeiro has one career homer and it came here last year on April 9 off John Burkett. Asked if The Ballpark at Arlington held any special meaning for him, Palmeiro joked: ``It means nothing to me, I don't know what you're talking about.''

ANGELS vs. TEXAS

Time: 5:35 p.m., at The Ballpark at Arlington.

TV/Radio: Channel 9; 570-AM, 1090-AM, 103.9-FM.

Matchup: Seth Etherton (5-1, 3.97 ERA) will start for Anaheim against Texas' Darren Oliver (2-5, 6.58). Etherton has a winning streak of five games, including a victory over the Rangers in his last start last week.

- Joe Haakenson

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Box: Angels vs. Texas (see text)