Angels’ Guerrero misses game against Mariners

SEATTLE —  There was a considerable void in the lineup Thursday night. While the Angels played the Mariners, cleanup batter Vladimir Guerrero, diagnosed with a right pectoral strain, traveled to Southern California to be examined by a team physician.

How long the slugger remains sidelined will be determined by the course of action Dr. Lewis Yocum recommends.

Guerrero will either be given time to heal so he can return to right field -- an option that would probably require a trip to the disabled list -- or join the team in Minnesota this weekend as a designated hitter, the spot he played in the first eight games.

“If it’s something where it needs a little bit of time to bounce back, we’ll consider that,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “If he can swing the bat all year but won’t be able to throw all year, that’s a different story. We don’t know where it is. We’re going to get some direction from Dr. Yocum.”

Guerrero, who underwent an MRI test Thursday, suffered the injury throwing from right field to third base in an April 2 exhibition game in Dodger Stadium. The pain started in the triceps area and moved up toward the chest, preventing Guerrero from throwing.

After Wednesday night’s game, “My chest muscle and my shoulder started bothering me more than it did in previous games,” Guerrero said through an interpreter. “It’s more swollen than before. . . . It doesn’t bother me to hit, but I want to get back to playing right field, and it’s not moving in the right direction.”

Guerrero, who missed half of the exhibition season while recovering from October surgery on his right knee, has not looked very comfortable at the plate, batting .250 with one home run and three runs batted in.

He said the knee is fine and that the pectoral strain doesn’t affect his swing.

“The way I feel at the plate has nothing to do with the injury,” Guerrero said. “I’m just not feeling the rhythm right now.”

Guerrero prefers to play the outfield -- he entered this season with a career .323 average but hit .301 as a DH -- but the Angels would prefer Guerrero be limited to DH rather than to not play at all.

“The lion’s share of what he brings to the team is hitting in the middle of the lineup -- that goes a long way toward building the offense,” Scioscia said. “If he’s limited to [DH], then it’s something we have enough depth to work around.”

Rehab report

Kelvim Escobar, who was shut down Saturday when he experienced discomfort in his surgically repaired right shoulder, said he will resume playing catch today.

He hopes to resume his rehabilitation assignment within the next two weeks, which would push his projected return back to at least mid-May.

“It feels very good,” Escobar said. “I don’t want to take it slow. I want to play catch a few times, throw a few bullpens and then get back into games.”

Scioscia said John Lackey and Ervin Santana came out of Thursday’s bullpen workouts fine and will throw again this weekend.

Down on the farm

Right-hander Anthony Ortega, considered the best in-house option to fill a rotation spot until Lackey, Santana or Escobar return, struggled in his second start of the season for triple-A Salt Lake.

Ortega gave up six runs, five earned, and seven hits and walked four in 4 2/3 innings of a 6-4 loss to Las Vegas in the second game of a doubleheader Wednesday.

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