Salmon Is Making Progress

Although outfielder Tim Salmon said he hasn’t set a timetable for his return to the lineup, Manager Mike Scioscia said he hopes Salmon’s sore left hand will be strong enough for Salmon to play next week.

Salmon was put on the 15-day disabled list Aug. 22--retroactive to Aug. 14--because of discomfort and swelling that resulted from being hit on the hand by a pitch.

X-rays and an MRI exam found no skeletal or muscular damage, and the injury was diagnosed as a bruise.

“Best-case scenario is midweek,” Scioscia said. “But he still has a lot of work to do.”

Salmon hit off a tee Thursday and followed that Friday by taking an estimated 30 or 40 swings off soft-toss pitching.

“It felt good,” said Salmon, who was batting .339 with four home runs and 20 runs batted in since the All-Star break. “That was the key, swinging [Thursday] and today and seeing how I felt. I felt good so we upped it and I took more swings. [Today] we’ll be waiting to see what it feels like.

“Mick [Mickey Hatcher, the Angels’ hitting coach] had to cut me off. That’s the big thing, to build on what I did and not to get carried away.”

Salmon, who wore an ice pack on his hand after hitting Thursday, said he will be guided by how his hand feels in deciding when he can return.

*

Left-hander Dennis Cook, trying to rehabilitate a shoulder injury instead of undergoing surgery, made his second rehabilitation appearance. He was the loser in the Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes’ 8-5 loss to the Lancaster JetHawks on Thursday, giving up four runs and four hits in one inning.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’

RAMON ORTIZ

(10-9, 4.16 ERA)

vs.

ORIOLES’

SCOTT ERICKSON

(5-11, 5.25 ERA)

Edison Field, 7

TV--Fox Sports Net.

Radio--KLAC (570), XPRS (1090).

Update--Tonight is Brian Downing bobblehead night. The first 10,000 fans will receive the popular giveaway items. About 12,000 tickets remained as of Friday night.

Tickets--(714) 663-9000.