ANGELS NOTEBOOK: SEIBEL TRIES LEFT-HAND TURN HERE.

Byline: DOUG PADILLA 

Staff Writer

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Without a serviceable left-handed reliever since the days of Scott Schoeneweis, Phil Seibel is trying to give the Angels a rare surplus in that department.

Left-hander Darren Oliver appears set for one bullpen job while Seibel battles it out with a group of relievers for the 11th spot on the pitching staff.

The former Cypress High honor student is smart enough, though, to calculate the numbers game he is up against. There are no less than six legitimate candidates for the spot in Seibel, Chris Bootcheck, Matt Hensley, Greg Jones, Dustin Moseley and Chris Resop.

"There are 60 guys in the clubhouse that on April 2 want to leave with the team and that can't happen," Seibel said. "My goal is to pitch well and if it works out, great. Hopefully it will at least leave an impression that if it doesn't work then if something happens, I'm one of the guys (they call on later)."

Seibel was obtained in December from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Brendan Donnelly, who became expendable when the Angels signed Justin Speier as a free agent.

After missing the 2005 season because of Tommy John elbow surgery, Seibel rebounded last season. He went 6-3 with a 1.24 ERA at threeminor-league levels, pitching in 21 games (80 innings).

"After not pitching for a whole year and then putting all those innings on it, I was kind of scuffling at the end of the year," Seibel said. "But at the same time I was pitching well and they kept saying that if we can get you going again, we might call you up. I kept trying to go on it knowing that I wasn't feeling 100 percent out there but they were dangling a big carrot in front of it so I was going to try."

Weaver to throw soon: Angels manager Scioscia is targeting this weekend or possibly early next week for Jered Weaver's first throwing session from a mound. Weaver, who is dealing with a bout of biceps tendinitis, continues to throw from flat ground.

"If he can get out there four or five times in games he should get stretched out enough to be where he needs to be," Scioscia said. "As we approach that, we'll look at a couple of dates to see where he has to be. I think you have to be flexible to see how he feels."

Also: Players will take the field around 10 a.m. for the first full-squad workout of the spring. All healthy players are expected to be in attendance, with Vladimir Guerrero and Erick Aybar the last to take their physicals Monday. ... Francisco Rodriguez (sore right hamstring) had a flat-ground throwing session and went through pitchers' fielding practice. He is a few days away from his first bullpen session of the spring. ... Jim Abbott arrived in camp Monday and will be a guest instructor. ... Tim Salmon will report to camp today to begin a two-week stint as guest instructor.

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