ANGELS NOTES : EDMONDS HOPING TO RETURN TONIGHT.

Center fielder Jim Edmonds, who has been out of the Angels lineup for a solid week because of a strained muscle in his abdomen, says he is hopeful of returning to action when the team opens a road trip in Minnesota tonight.

Not that - to his consternation - Edmonds seems to have any say in the matter.

``No one's told me anything, except to shut me down every day,'' he said after Sunday's 14-1 loss to Baltimore. ``Between the doctors, trainers and coaches, they thought it was better to sit. I think they're a little nervous about the area it's in. But I think I will have a good chance (tonight).''

The Angels medical staff has expressed concern over Edmonds' inability to run full speed.

Mystery injury: A fan was struck in the face when a bat slipped out of the hands of the Orioles' Bobby Bonilla and hurtled into the fourth row in the fourth inning.

The male fan, who was bleeding profusely from the area beneath his left eye, was attended to by medical technicians and carried out on a stretcher.

Disney publicists working the game for the Angels declined to divulge either the fan's name or the name of the hospital to which he was taken. Anaheim police, though two officers were on the scene, said they had no report on the incident. Anaheim Stadium security declined comment.

Who's on third? Any trace of controversy over Cal Ripken Jr. possibly moving from shortstop to third base was officially removed - for the moment - Sunday when the Orioles activated B.J. Surhoff off the disabled list.

Surhoff, back from a sprained ankle, started at his customary position of third, and Ripken was at short, although the lopsided game enabled manager Davey Johnson to pull Ripken after 5-1/2 innings to get some work for promising Manny Alexander.

Ripken, obviously comfortable, went 3 for 4, drove in three runs, and, in the third, hit home run No. 8 to greet Shad Williams.

Cooled off: With Edmonds out and Rex Hudler replacing the injured Chili Davis as the Angels' designated hitter, second-year man Garret Anderson got his first career start in center field. He handled the position capably but went 0 for 4 at the plate, which halted his hitting streak at nine games.