ANGELS NOTEBOOK: PAUL IS ON THE BALL ON POLICY.

Byline: Gabe Lacques Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - Several major-leaguers, including suspended Seattle Mariners pitcher Ryan Franklin and former Angels outfielder Jose Guillen, have expressed concern about baseball's drug-testing policy, with Guillen going so far as to say he ``blames this whole thing on the players' association for not telling the players'' what supplements are permissible.

Angels catcher Josh Paul begs to differ. Paul, the Angels' players representative, says the information is readily available and disputed Guillen's assertion that ``everybody's supposed to have a sheet on what we can take and cannot take, and we don't have it.''

Franklin and other players who have tested positive for steroids have claimed they did not know how steroids got into their system, or that over-the-counter supplements were tainted. Paul said players have the ability, if they desire, to have supplements tested before they take them.

``If I buy Joe's Muscle Powder at GNC, I can send it to the union and they'll test it,'' he said. ``We have a lab that does that.''

Paul said the specter of false positives is the main reason those who test positive have an appeals process before their results are publicized and a suspension handed down, which is the opposite of the NFL, which suspends first and appeals later. He also said by 2006, technology will enable urine testing to detect human growth hormone, which currently is only detectable by blood testing, which baseball's basic agreement does not permit.

--Good move: The Angels have averaged seven runs per game since moving shortstop Orlando Cabrera into the No. 2 slot and manager Mike Scioscia thinks that's hardly a coincidence. Cabrera has gone 5 for 19 hitting second, a position more suitable to his skills, Scioscia said.

--Minor pain: Starter Jarrod Washburn reported only minor pain in his forearm after throwing a bullpen session Tuesday and, assuming he feels OK today, should start on Saturday.

Washburn said he anticipated some pain in his forearm, which has dogged him for several weeks, but reported it was at a ``manageable'' level.