Donnelly May Miss Opener

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. â€”  On the day center fielder Garret Anderson made his long-awaited return, the Angels learned reliever Brendan Donnelly might not be ready to start the season because of complications stemming from a broken nose.

Donnelly, who was struck in the face by a batting-practice fly ball on March 9, was admitted to Scottsdale Memorial Hospital on Friday night because of persistent nosebleeds and underwent surgery Saturday to cauterize the blood vessels in his nose. He was moved to the intensive care unit after the procedure and will remain hospitalized through the weekend.

Donnelly seemed on track for a quick recovery and was throwing vigorously in the bullpen just days after his initial surgery to repair the nose, but the nosebleeds forced Donnelly to remain home on Friday. The All-Star set-up man is expected to be inactive for several days -- and maybe longer -- while he recovers.

“Whether this impacts his start of the season or not remains to be seen, but we want to make sure he’s ready before we put him out there,� Manager Mike Scioscia said. “We want to err on the side of caution.�

Donnelly went 2-2 with a 1.58 earned-run average in 74 innings last season, striking out 79 and walking 24. He was dominant in the first four months, allowing only two earned runs in his first 50 innings.

If Donnelly is not ready for the April 6 season opener at Seattle, Francisco Rodriguez and Ben Weber will serve as closer Troy Percival’s primary set-up men, and middle reliever Scot Shields will assume a more prominent bullpen role.

Derrick Turnbow’s chances of making the team despite a shaky spring would drastically improve, and the Angels could easily carry an extra starting pitcher in the bullpen. If Donnelly opens the season on the disabled list, he will have to sit out at least 10 days before being activated.

“We have enough depth in the bullpen where we can absorb a few nicks,� Scioscia said. “Brendan’s role will be filled, because we have guys who have been in those late-inning situations before. But Brendan is not a guy you want to lose for an extended period.�

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Anderson’s Cactus League debut was uneventful, but it was an important first step in his return from biceps tendinitis near his right shoulder.

Anderson struck out, walked and popped up during a 10-8 exhibition loss to the San Francisco Giants, but most important, he felt no pain in either shoulder -- he had experienced some discomfort in his left (throwing) shoulder.

“I felt a lot better -- I feel like I could play [today],� Anderson said. “It’s just nice to be out there.�

Anderson got a nice jump on one ball hit over his head and glided back to make the catch, but there were no balls hit into the gap that would have allowed him to work with new right fielder Vladimir Guerrero.

Anderson believes he’ll get enough at-bats in the final two weeks of spring to gain his timing, and doesn’t think it would be “productive� to go to minor league camp and get 10 to 15 at-bats in one day.

“You’re hitting minor league pitching there,� Scioscia said. “If we were breaking camp in five days, it would be a different story, but we have 11 more games [in Arizona] and he’ll get 25-30 at-bats. He should be ready to go.�

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Angel starter John Lackey got roughed up for eight runs and seven hits, including four home runs, in three innings Saturday, a stark contrast to his last spring outing, when he shut out San Diego on three hits for five innings Monday. The right-hander gave up home runs to J.T. Snow and Barry Bonds in the first inning and Pedro Feliz and Michael Tucker in the third.

“All the home runs were [on pitches] right down the middle,� Lackey said. “I dealt five days ago, so what are you gonna do? It’s just one of those things. They have a good team, I wasn’t locating the ball well, and that’s a bad combination. I felt fine. I felt normal. But my breaking ball was not sharp at all. I hung that a couple of times.�

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A chorus of boos emanated from Scottsdale Stadium’s right-field corner in the bottom of the first inning Saturday, and they moved down the first-base line. Did San Francisco fans suddenly realize that Lackey, the 2002 World Series Game 7 winner over the Giants, was pitching for the Angels? No. The booing was directed at five fans parading through the concourse wearing Dodger uniforms. When they got near home plate, a loud chant of “Beat L.A.!� erupted.... Scioscia said catcher Bengie Molina, sidelined since March 5 because of hamstring problems, would play against Kansas City today.