Angels' Joel Pineiro feeling better; Jered Weaver moves to minor league game because of weather
The Angels' Joel Pineiro, pulled from Sunday's minor league start after two innings and 35 pitches because of tightness in his right shoulder blade area, said he was "feeling much better" Monday and expects to be ready for the start of the regular season.
"It almost felt like I had a cramp," Pineiro said. "It got tight. I went out to warm up for the second inning and it was like, 'Whoa, it felt like I had already thrown 60 pitches.' I felt like I was OK to continue, but [pitching coach Mike Butcher] said there's no sense pushing it."
Pineiro underwent extensive treatment Monday morning and will take two days off before playing catch on Wednesday. He will not undergo an MRI test or X-ray.
With an off day after a season-opening, four-game series in Kansas City, the Angels could skip Pineiro's firsts start in the rotation and push his first start back to around April 11.
With rain threatening a 1 p.m. Cactus League game against the Chicago Cubs, Manager Mike Scioscia moved Jered Weaver, who was scheduled to start against the Cubs, to a minor league game against an Arizona Class-A team at 10 a.m. Catcher Jeff Mathis, who was also scheduled to start against the Cubs, is catching Weaver.
Reliever Francisco Rodriguez is now the scheduled starter against the Cubs with Hank Conger catching.
In other news, the Angels optioned infielder Freddy Sandoval to triple-A Salt Lake.
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-- Mike DiGiovanna in Tempe, Ariz.
Photo: Starting pitcher Joel Pineiro #35 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on March 15, 2011 in Peoria, Arizona. Credit: Christian Petersen / Getty Images
