ANGELS NOTEBOOK: OFFENSE HOPES RIVERA'S RETURN IS AN ELIXIR.

Byline: DOUG PADILLA Staff Writer

TORONTO -- With the Angels in dire need of offense, Juan Rivera is expected be activated from the disabled list today, one day ahead of schedule.

The Angels made no official announcement Sunday but likely will do so before today's series finale against Toronto. Darin Erstad is expected to go on the disabled list retroactive to last Monday with bone spurs in his right ankle.

Rivera was supposed to play at Salt Lake on Sunday, in the final game of a three-game rehabilitation assignment, but was not in the lineup. He was believed to be en route to Toronto on Sunday afternoon while the Angels slogged their way through a 3-1 defeat to the Blue Jays.

Rivera's performance Friday at Triple-A Salt Lake was just the kind of result the Angels need on the big league-level. In the first game of his rehab assignment, needed because of a strained muscle in his left rib cage, Rivera had four hits and six RBIs with two doubles and a home run.

Rivera played center field Friday and was expected to do so again Saturday, but he was instead in the lineup as the designated hitter, going 1 for 4.

Catching on? Mike Napoli has been in the lineup three of the four days he has been in the major leagues, but manager Mike Scioscia did not say his rookie has become the preferred catcher over Jose Molina.

``We talked about needing depth and needing both of those guys,'' Scioscia said. ``Jose will catch (today) with (Jeff) Weaver. They did a good job in Detroit. Then we'll see where it leads."

After hitting a home run in his first major-league at-bat Thursday, Napoli is 2 for 10.

From a distance: Bartolo Colon continues to progress slowly from his sore right shoulder as he played long toss Sunday from 180 feet. Colon threw from 120-130 feet Friday.

Scioscia said that Colon will need at least one more session of long toss from 180 feet before the team even starts to consider letting him throw a bullpen session from a mound.