Injured Baughman to Miss 6-10 Days

Manager Terry Collins and designated hitter Tim Salmon won’t be the only notable absences in the Angel lineup tonight when the team begins a three-game interleague series against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix.

Second baseman Justin Baughman, who was hit in the face by a Curtis Goodwin line drive in the seventh inning of Sunday’s 6-5 victory over the Colorado Rockies, did not travel with the Angels on Monday and is expected to be sidelined six to 10 days.

Baughman, a rookie who was batting .290 in 18 games, has a slight concussion and will remain in Anaheim for several days so doctors can determine whether he is suffering after-effects.

An initial CT scan and X-rays were negative, and Baughman received several stitches to close a gash above his left lip. He was scheduled to undergo further dental X-rays Monday and will be reexamined today.

Baughman made a spectacular leaping grab of Dan Wilson’s liner in Seattle on Thursday night, turning it into a double play, and he ended the fourth inning Sunday by snagging Todd Helton’s liner with runners on first and second and flipping to shortstop Gary DiSarcina for a double play.

But with runners on first and second in the seventh, Baughman either misjudged the topspin on Goodwin’s liner or took his eye off the ball--perhaps peeking to see if DiSarcina was at the second-base bag in anticipation of another double play--and the ball hit him in the face.

“I asked him if the ball deflected off the heel of his glove or his wrist,” Collins said. “He couldn’t even remember what happened.”

Either Norberto Martin, the Angel starter at second for most of the season, or Craig Shipley will replace Baughman. No roster move is planned involving Baughman, so the Angels will play short-handed for several days. “You hate to be a player short in a National League town,” Collins said.

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The resurgence of the bullpen, which has yielded eight earned runs in the last 31 innings--has been the result of combined success by almost every reliever--except Mike Holtz.

The left-hander has given up at least one earned run in seven of his last eight appearances, his earned-run average soaring from 2.51 to 6.61 in that span. Holtz started the ninth inning Sunday and struck out pinch-hitter Jeff Reed before giving up a double to Jason Bates.

“That’s the best he’s thrown in a while,” Collins said. “I think he’s getting a little more bite back on the breaking ball. . . .

“He’s in a very tough role. He’s coming in to face the best left-handed hitters in baseball and he wants to make that pitch real, real good. He pitched in 66 games last year and that doesn’t even count all the times he was [warming] up. I think he’s just going through a [tired arm] stage.”

Holtz, however, thinks his problem has more to do with incorrect mechanics than fatigue. He believes he’s over-striding with his front leg, causing his arm angle to flatten out and his pitches to come up in the strike zone.

“You only get so many chances and if you can’t throw your best pitches for quality strikes, you’re going to get hit around a bit,” Holtz said. “I know I’m a better pitcher than this. I just need to get my confidence back.”

ON DECK

* Opponent--Arizona Diamondbacks, three games.

* Site--Bank One Ballpark, Phoenix.

* Tonight--7.

* TV--Channel 9 tonight and Thursday night.

* Radio--KRLA (1110), XPRS (1090), KIK-FM (94.3).

* Records--Angels 34-26, Diamondbacks 20-43.

* Record vs. Diamondbacks--first meeting.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ CHUCK FINLEY (6-2, 2.22 ERA) vs. DIAMONDBACKS’ WILLIE BLAIR (2-8, 4.78 ERA)

* Update--Superb pitching has keyed the Angels’ eight-game winning streak--starters have combined for a 1.62 ERA in their last seven games, giving up nine earned runs and only two homers in 50 innings, and closer Troy Percival has been nearly perfect, giving up no runs and two hits in 5 1/3 innings and saving five games during the streak. Finley is coming off Wednesday night’s 8-1 victory over Seattle, in which he gave up one run and six hits in eight innings. Since beginning the season with seven losses, Blair is 2-1 with a 2.79 ERA in his last four starts. The Diamondbacks have drawn 1,181,055 fans in 26 home dates, their average of 45,425 ranking second in the major leagues behind Colorado.

* Wednesday, 7 p.m.--Ken Hill (8-4, 4.64) vs. Omar Daal (1-4, 3.50).

* Thursday, 7 p.m.--Jason Dickson (5-4, 5.66) vs. Andy Benes (4-6, 4.67).