Lackey, Santana make progress

SEATTLE — John Lackey and Ervin Santana gave the Angels reasons to be encouraged about their rotation Wednesday. Both pitchers threw off a mound, their first bullpen workouts since suffering spring-training arm injuries.

Lackey, sidelined since late March by a forearm strain, threw 45 pitches in a 10-minute session during batting practice. Santana, out since early March because of a sprained elbow ligament, completed a similar workout earlier in the afternoon.

“We’re excited about where Ervin and John are,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “Ervin went after it hard and threw really well off a mound. We’re very pleased.”

Santana’s progression, from catch to long toss to throwing off a mound, took several weeks. Lackey, who threw 90 pitches in his last exhibition start on March 22, completed a similar progression in a week and a half.

“I’m not in a real patient mood,” said Lackey, who has butted heads with trainers who prefer to rehabilitate at a slower pace. “And I don’t think they’re against it much. I didn’t get much argument when I told them I’m ready to go.”

The Angels are reeling from the death of 22-year-old pitcher Nick Adenhart in a traffic crash last Thursday. Long reliever Darren Oliver will move into Adenhart’s rotation spot for Saturday’s game in Minnesota.

Lackey acknowledged he is still “feeling something” in his elbow, “but it’s nothing most of us don’t deal with at some point in the season,” he said. “I’ve got to pitch through some things.”

The ace hopes to begin a minor league rehabilitation assignment next week, which could put him in line to return in early May.

Santana will need to throw a number of bullpen workouts before going on a rehab assignment that will probably start at extended spring-training camp in Arizona, where the Angels can control his workload.

“We want him to get his feet on the ground before he goes to the California League or the Pacific Coast League,” Scioscia said. “John has to build up some stamina. We’re confident it will come back quickly, but we have to evaluate how he comes out of his bullpens before we set a timetable.”

Pitching in

Oliver threw 40 pitches during a scoreless three-inning stint Tuesday. The veteran left-hander, who hasn’t started a big league game since 2004, said he won’t have that many more pitches Saturday.

“No one is expecting me to throw a complete-game shutout,” Oliver said. “We’ll see how it goes.”

Oliver’s last start came for the Houston Astros against the Atlanta Braves on Aug. 5, 2004. He left after one inning because of tightness in his shoulder and went on the disabled list.

In his previous start, on July 31 of that year, Oliver threw five scoreless, one-hit innings in an 8-0 victory over Cincinnati.

“I never really thought about starting again until this spring, when guys were getting hurt,” Oliver, 38, said. “At this point in my career, if I have to start, I will start. If I have to face one batter, I’ll face one batter.”

Deja vu all over again

If Scot Shields’ 10th-inning throwing error on a bunt -- which cost the Angels Tuesday’s game -- seemed familiar, it should. In August 2005, the reliever fielded a bunt and threw the ball into right field, allowing Oakland’s Nick Swisher to score the winning run from first.

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