ANGELS NOTEBOOK: SANTANA WILL GET TRYOUT IN BULLPEN.

Byline: DOUG PADILLA 

Staff Writer

BALTIMORE -- Ervin Santana is getting a three-week tryout in the bullpen to see if he will be worth adding to the playoff roster.

Manager Mike Scioscia announced Tuesday Bartolo Colon will return to the rotation Friday at Chicago against the White Sox, while Santana will be turned into a reliever.

Santana is 1-2 with a 4.74 ERA since returning to the rotation Aug. 17. Included in that stretch is a outing in which he gave up five earned runs in just one-third of an inning against the Seattle Mariners, followed by one in which he didn't give up a run in 61/3 innings against the Oakland Athletics.

He was decent in his most recent outing, giving up two earned runs in 52/3 innings against the Cleveland Indians, but it ended in a defeat.

"Ervin has shown he can be valuable in the 'pen, and if Bart can throw the ball with any consistency down the stretch, it will give us a lift," Scioscia said. "Obviously if (Colon) has some issues with something, whether it's his health or execution or performance, Ervin's not too far away to be able to get back into the rotation. It's a better way to go right now."

Scioscia acknowledged the similarities to the 2005 season, when Santana established himself as a starter but made the playoff roster as a reliever. Santana replaced an injured Colon in Game5 of the American League Division Series that season, and the Angels went on to clinch the series.

"Ervin's about winning," Scioscia said. "I think that he, naturally his preference is to start, as any pitcher with his history should be. We consider him a starter, he considers himself a starter. Right now, though, for this next week he needs to help us in the 'pen and we'll go from there."

Overall, Santana is 6-13 with a 5.95 ERA and hasn't seemed to handle his struggles tactfully. He grew testy with the media as his struggles grew worse and now uses a interpreter for all interviews when he used to do them in English.

"I just took it easy and I will be ready in the bullpen when I get my chance," Santana said through an interpreter. "At this point, I'm not going to think too much. This happened before in '05 when I went to the bullpen. I was having fun because we were in the postseason. I will be ready for when they need me."

More Colon: Colon's chances of making the playoff roster look to be even more slim than Santana's. The right-hander has not pitched since July 23 when he he went on the disabled list with right elbow irritation.

He made his last rehabilitation start Wednesday at Triple-A Salt Lake, giving him nine days between starts when he takes the mound Friday against the White Sox.

"He got close to 90 pitches (last Wednesday) and maintained his stuff, so he's got enough to get deep into the game if he's effective," Scioscia said.

Vlad back: Vladimir Guerrero returned to the lineup for the first time since missing four games and didn't look to be bothered by an inflamed right triceps. Guerrero hit a pair of 400-foot home runs in his first four at-bats.

Guerrero hurt himself throwing a ball from the outfield, so his defensive duties will be reduced for the time being.

"I'll DH for three or four days until I can play some catch," Guerrero said through an interpreter. "That should begin promptly. I will start to play catch soon."

A CT scan done Friday showed a posterior impingement that was causing tendinitis, but Scioscia said he has heard nothing about Guerrero possibly needing surgery after the season.

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

Ervin Santana made the Angels' 2005 playoff roster as a reliever and came upbig, winning Game 5 of the American League Divisional Series.

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images