Guerrero Is Placed on DL

The Angels had a four-run lead in the fifth inning Friday night when Steve Finley doubled into the right-field corner with Vladimir Guerrero on first. Though Guerrero was approaching third base as Dodger right fielder J.D. Drew’s throw came to the infield, third base coach Ron Roenicke waved Guerrero home with two out.

A calculated risk or a needless gamble?

The end result would indicate the latter. Guerrero was out by several feet, and his awkward dive into the plate resulted in a partial dislocation of his left shoulder, an injury that sent the 2004 American League most valuable player to the 15-day disabled list Saturday.

The Angels recalled outfielder Curtis Pride, who was batting .320 with six home runs and 31 runs batted in at triple-A Salt Lake, to replace Guerrero on the roster.

Despite the injury, Angel Manager Mike Scioscia backed Roenicke, and the third base coach said he had no regrets.

“We’re playing baseball -- that’s the right move,� said Scioscia, who encourages aggressive baserunning. “You want to force them to make the play, and they made it. Vlad plays the game aggressively, and when you play that way, I think you minimize your risk of injury. If anything, his slide was awkward.�

Said Roenicke: “I would send him every time there. What bothers me is, do you send [Adam Kennedy] with a bad knee, [Darin Erstad] with a knee brace, Bengie [Molina] because he might pull something? There’s a concern when it comes to keeping guys healthy ... but I’m always aggressive. With two outs, I’m always going to send them.�

Despite his many baseball tools, the 6-foot-3, 225-pound Guerrero is not the game’s most agile athlete. If there was any second-guessing about the play, it was on Guerrero’s split-second decision to dive instead of slide.

“The one place you don’t want to go head-first into is the plate,� Scioscia said. “You run the risk of jamming a finger in the catcher’s shin guard, of getting stepped on. But instincts take over, and you react to things. It’s tough to put a governor on these guys.�

Scioscia said he was confident Guerrero’s absence “will be closer to the short-term than the long-term� and was encouraged by how Guerrero felt Saturday. X-rays and an exam revealed no fractures and no apparent need for surgery.

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A shiny new black bat engraved with his name sat in Angel reliever Scot Shields’ locker Saturday morning. Admiring the piece of lumber, fellow reliever Kevin Gregg smirked, “What a waste of wood.�

Shields, getting a rare chance to hit Saturday because he threw two innings and his spot came up to start the ninth, struck out looking at four pitches, three strikes, from Dodger closer Eric Gagne. Shields was so overmatched, all he could do was laugh.

“They told me I was leading off the ninth, so I went to the clubhouse to get my bat, and as I’m running up the tunnel I heard, ‘Welcome to the Jungle,’ � Shields said, referring to Gagne’s entry song. “I thought, ‘Oh, great.’ �

Shields never had a chance. “I think he was under orders to stand there,� Angel pitcher John Lackey said. Asked if he was told by Scioscia not to swing, Shields said, “Next question.�

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When the Dodgers slumped during the Tom Lasorda era, it was inevitable that, at some point, the manager would shut the clubhouse doors for a team meeting that would largely consist of a profane tirade.

Current Manager Jim Tracy is much more low-key. But with his Dodgers slumping, he called his own team meeting before Saturday’s game to try to inspire his troops.

Asked about the effectiveness of Tracy’s performance, second baseman Jeff Kent shrugged. “When you win, a team meeting is awesome,� Kent said. “If not, you say you need another team meeting.�

When a reporter asked what Tracy had said, Kent replied, “You weren’t invited? Oh, I guess you weren’t supposed to know.�

Teammate Milton Bradley was less secretive. “He just talked about staying strong together,� Bradley said, “going out and giving a solid effort.�

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After right-hander Scott Erickson lost Friday’s game to drop to 1-4 with a 7.22 earned-run average, Tracy, asked about Erickson’s future as a starter, said he wanted to sleep on it.

The way Odalis Perez is throwing, Tracy figures to have a few restless nights ahead.

Erickson took Perez’s spot in the rotation Friday because the Dodger left-hander continues to experience stiffness in his throwing shoulder. After playing catch Friday, Perez felt just “so-so,� according to Tracy.

Perez threw again Saturday with the hope that he would be able to throw off a mound today and start Wednesday against the San Francisco Giants. But after Saturday’s session, Tracy remained guarded about Perez’s availability.

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Angel closer Francisco Rodriguez, sidelined for a week because of a strained muscle in his forearm, felt no ill effects from Friday’s bullpen workout and could be available for today’s series finale.... Angel left fielder Garret Anderson was in the original lineup Saturday but was scratched because of a tight right hamstring.... Angel right-hander Kelvim Escobar, on the disabled list because of a bone spur in his elbow, will throw in the bullpen today and Wednesday and, barring any setbacks, will start Saturday against Kansas City.... Dodger outfielder Jayson Werth, who suffered a broken wrist in March, is getting plenty of rehabilitation work. In two games before Saturday, he had 13 at-bats with triple-A Las Vegas.