LA Dodgers & Angels

The Angels made another dip into their talent pool when they called up Kendry Morales from Triple-A Salt Lake following Monday's 3-2 loss to the Rangers.

Right-handed reliever Jason Bulger was optioned to Salt Lake to make room on the roster for Morales.

The 22-year-old Morales is the 10th player to be recalled by the Angels this season and the seventh position player. Morales, who has been playing first base for the Bees, will get his shot.

"He is certainly swinging well and will get the opportunity," manager Mike Scioscia said. "We will plug him right in."

Morales is hitting .317 with seven doubles, five homers and 29 RBIs in 41 games at Salt Lake.

"We've been talking about Kendry for 2-3 weeks," Scioscia said. "No one has endless rope but it will be exciting to see him."

Bulger allowed three runs in two appearances for the Angels.

Righting the ship:The month of May has not been kind to the Angels.

Entering Monday's series opener against the Rangers, they are just 5-14 this month and have been shut out three times. They've scored three runs or fewer in 11 of 19 games and have been out-homered 26-14.

Combine those numbers with a staff ERA of 5.84 in May and it's no mystery why the club has managed only a handful of wins.

Injuries have a role. After sitting out the previous five games, Garret Anderson started in left field Sunday against the Dodgers and he was back in the lineup as the designated hitter Monday.

Sitting 10 games under .500 and 5 1/2 games back in the division, the Angels realize they can't get it all back at once but they're hoping to reassemble the pieces necessary to get there and it starts with Anderson and Vladimir Guerrero in the middle of the order.

"We have to keep them together," manager Mike Scioscia said. "We have to keep them comfortable batting together."

Guerrero has been a one-man highlight show this season. He's hit safely in 15 of 18 games in May entering Monday and has 17 RBIs in his last 17 games and 25 RBIs in his last 26 games. The likeliest candidate to protect Guerrero is Anderson, who was sidelined last week by a strained left hamstring and is still bothered by a strained left arch.

"I think it is smart to slowly fold him back into playing left field," Scioscia said. "Hopefully this will continue to get better."

Anderson drove in Chone Figgins in his first at-bat Monday.

Solo act: Guerrero hit an RBI double into the left-field corner Monday to extend his hitting streak against the Rangers to 40 games. It is the longest streak against one team since divisional play began.

 

Next step: Bartolo Colon will throw a simulated game Tuesday, reaching about a 40-pitch maximum. The right-hander has been recovering from inflammation in his shoulder and has not started since April 15 when he pitched seven innings in Baltimore.

The club continues to take the slow approach with its ace.

"We have to see how it goes," Scioscia said. "The best case scenario is he will be able to get there and go. If it takes more than one [simulated game] then it does. But if there is nothing more a simulated game will do for him then he will move on."

Colon will not be held to a similar progression as in Spring Training when it may take as many as five starts to get fully stretched out. The Angels feel that Colon is closer to a minimum threshold to get back on the mound and would like to see him reach at least the 50-60 pitch range in a rehab assignment before getting another big league start.

"We don't want to risk any more starts [this season]," Scioscia said. "If we're confident that he can get to a 75-90 pitch range and go at least five innings, then we will consider him for a Major League start."

Slow going: Darin Erstad (sore right ankle) ran lightly, shagged balls and swung the bat Monday but has yet been cleared to run the bases.

"He had a great workout," Scioscia said. "We need him to carry that over to tomorrow."

On the farm: Kendry Morales continued to improve his stock with three hits in Salt Lake's 7-2 win over Oklahoma on Sunday. Morales had two doubles and a pair of RBIs and is hitting .318 in 40 games. Howie Kendrick went 2-for-4 and scored twice. Right-hander Steven Shell (1-1) earned his first win at Triple-A by allowing two runs on nine hits and a walk with five strikeouts over seven innings.

On deck: The Angels will play the second game of the three-game series on Tuesday at 5:05 p.m. PT. Right-hander John Lackey will face Rangers right-hander Vicente Padilla. Right-hander Jeff Weaver will start against Texas on Wednesday.