ANGELS NOTEBOOK: VALDES PUT ON DL.

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas - Pitcher Ismael Valdes, who was scheduled to make his first start with the Angels on Saturday against the A's, has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a split fingernail on the middle finger of his right (pitching) hand.

Valdes is prone to getting blisters on his fingers but has never been placed on the disabled list because of it. The nail split late in spring training, but he tried to pitch anyway.

He will be replaced on the roster by right-hander Steve Green, who will be called up from Triple-A Salt Lake and start on Saturday, making his major-league debut. Green, 23, split time between Double-A Erie and Triple-A Edmonton last year. He was 7-4 with a 3.40 ERA at Erie, 0-4 with a 7.29 ERA at Edmonton.

Valdes, who will be eligible to come off the DL on April 13, also began last season with the Cubs on the DL (shoulder tendinitis).

``I've been getting blisters all my life but never a cracked nail,'' Valdes said. ``It is frustrating. You can deal with blisters, but a cracked nail is different.''

Angels manager Mike Scioscia said he expects Valdes to miss only the one start but added the nail is ``nasty.''

``It's really split open,'' he said. ``It affected his side work the other day. He couldn't pitch. There was absolutely no way he can go out and pitch and be effective.''

--Making changes: Two losses into the season, Scioscia's lineup for Thursday's game looked nothing like the set lineup he had the first two nights.

Out were Tim Salmon, Scott Spiezio, Bengie Molina and Benji Gil; in were Orlando Palmeiro, Wally Joyner, Jorge Fabregas and Jose Nieves.

Only Salmon's absence was health related - Salmon came down with food poisoning before Thursday's game after eating some bad fish for lunch.

``He felt good when he came to the park, but all of a sudden he wasn't feeling well,'' Scioscia said. ``He's been down for a couple hours.''

He was able to get out of the trainers room to take some batting practice before the game and convince Scioscia he would be available for pinch-hitting duty.

The remaining lineup changes came partly because the Angels were facing a right-hander for the first time this season in the Rangers' Ryan Glynn.

--Eckstein moves up: The Angels traded pitcher Mike Fyhrie to the Cubs for Jose Nieves in the final week of spring training because they needed a backup shortstop. Now, they are strongly considering second baseman David Eckstein for that job.

The Angels will have to make a decision when starting second baseman Adam Kennedy returns from a broken right hand, probably within the next 10 days to two weeks. Eckstein got his first chance to play shortstop Wednesday night when he played there for one inning.

The Angels like everything about Eckstein, but their concern is whether or not he has enough arm strength to make the long throws from shortstop.