ANGELS NOTEBOOK: WEAVER, SAUNDERS SITUATIONS SIMILAR.

Byline: DOUG PADILLA

Staff Writer

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Joe Saunders knows exactly what fellow pitcher Jered Weaver is going through with shoulder soreness.

Like Weaver did after last season, Saunders tried giving his arm a long break, in the winter of 2002 after Saunders' first professional season. After pitching a full season at Virginia Tech in 2002, Saunders was drafted by the Angels in the first round and finished that summer pitching at Provo and Cedar Rapids. He gave himself 2 1/2 months off after the season, and when he resumed throwing he realized he had some muscle atrophy in his shoulder.

Instead of trying to rebuild muscle, Saunders tried to pitch through the pain and caused serious damage. He didn't pitch in 2003 as he rehabbed rotator cuff and labrum damage.

It helps explain why the Angels have been cautious with Weaver at the start of camp. Weaver (Simi Valley) said he underwent strength tests on the shoulder, with seven of the nine tests coming back positive. That means there will still be more long-toss days before he throws his first bullpen session.

"There is a series of little things they can do with (your) arms and how to hold it and then put it through the computer and (get) the percentage of how much better the right arm is than the left arm," Weaver said. "There were two of them that I was like three-percent better and they want at least 10-percent better."

Weaver had a long-toss session and said he still is on schedule to start the season on time.

As for general manager Bill Stoneman's assessment Tuesday that Weaver should have done more this winter, Weaver seemed surprised at that critique.

"I thought I did everything they told me to," Weaver said. "I guess I took a little too much time off. Other than that, everything was good."

Third degree? Brandon Wood is finally getting a chance to take some ground balls at third base, but it might be a little presumptuous to say he can beat out Chone Figgins for the Opening-Day job.

The power-hitting shortstop, ranked as the Angels' No. 1 prospect by Baseball America, will begin fielding drills at third base today. He took groundballs with the middle infielders Wednesday.

"If it works out and he can play third base, to have that kind of bat coming up and having a position for him is something that could help us and is something that's going to be big for our depth," manager Mike Scioscia said. "We're not giving up on his ability to play shortstop, and I think that's important."

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