Angels spring report: Matsui ‘getting close’ to playing outfield
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Hideki Matsui, who signed a one-year, $6-million contract to be the Angels’ primary designated hitter this season, is ‘getting close to where there’s a possibility he could play outfield,’ Manager Mike Scioscia said Wednesday morning.
Matsui, who has been slowed in recent years by a pair of arthritic knees, was relegated to DH for all 142 of the games he played for the New York Yankees last season, but the Angels hope he can play left field once or maybe twice a week this season.
That would give Scioscia the option of using starting outfielders Bobby Abreu, Juan Rivera and Torii Hunter as the DH on days he would like to get one of the three off his feet but keep his bat in the lineup.
Matsui threw from the outfield in fielding drills Wednesday morning and has been taking fly balls regularly. He would need to play the outfield at least a few times in spring training for the Angels to feel comfortable using him there during the regular season.
Scioscia declined to put a time line on when Matsui would play the field.
‘It’s not like hours away, but it’s not months away, either,’ Scioscia said. ‘It’s between hours and months, how about that? We’re going to start with one game and then we’ll move on to two games, hopefully. It’s too fluid now. ... It’s going to be contingent on how Hideki feels.’
Shortstop Erick Aybar (forearm tightness) and right fielder Abreu (ribcage tightness) remain sidelined for Wednesday’s exhibition game against Arizona, but Aybar is scheduled to get some at-bats as the DH and could return to the field Friday, while Abreu could be back by this weekend.
LINEUPS
ARIZONA
SS Stephen Drew
LF Conor Jackson
RF B.J. Upton
1B Adam LaRoche
3B Mark Reynolds
C Miguel Montero
2B Kelly Johnson
CF Chris Young
DH Chris Snyder
P Ian Kennedy
ANGELS
SS Maicer Izturis
2B Howie Kendrick
CF Torii Hunter
DH Hideki Matsui
1B Kendry Morales
RF Juan Rivera
3B Brandon Wood
C Jeff Mathis
LF Cory Aldridge
P Joe Saunders
-- Mike DiGiovanna in Tempe, Ariz.