Angels' Jeff Mathis suffers minor setback

It no longer looks like Jeff Mathis will be able to rejoin the Angels this weekend for the Freeway Series.

The catcher took a pitch off his right thumb Thursday night during a rehabilitation assignment at triple-A Salt Lake when he blocked a ball in the dirt.

Mathis, recovering from a broken right wrist that has sidelined him since late April, is considered day-to-day and could return as soon as Saturday, but Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said Mathis would likely have to play through the weekend with the Bees before being activated from the disabled list.

Scioscia said Mathis has occasionally been hit with pitches on his hand when he forgets to hold it behind his glove for protection.

"You're not going to be perfect with it all the time," Scioscia said. "You try to be as consistent as you can. It's really a freak thing that it hit there a number of times."

-- Ben Bolch