Donnelly Hopes for Smooth Absence

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —  As much as he hates the thought of it, Brendan Donnelly can accept being labeled a cheater for being caught with pine tar on his glove on June 14, an offense for which the Angel reliever began serving an eight-day suspension Friday.

What Donnelly will have a tougher time accepting is if his absence has a negative effect on the Angels over the next week.

“The worst thing for me is leaving the team short-handed for eight games,” said Donnelly, who will throw several bullpen sessions and some live batting practice during his suspension.

“I trust the guys we have in our rotation and bullpen to do the job, but where it might come into play is in an extra-inning game where we run out of bench players. That’s my fear, that my situation might cost us a ballgame.”

The Angels filled Donnelly’s bullpen spot with right-hander Kevin Gregg, who was called up from triple-A Salt Lake on Thursday night, and they put utility player Robb Quinlan on the 15-day disabled list with shoulder and neck injuries.

With shortstop Orlando Cabrera unavailable because of an inflamed elbow, the Angels essentially played the Royals on Friday with a 23-man roster.

Third baseman Dallas McPherson (tight groin) and catcher Bengie Molina (food poisoning), who sat out most of the last week, started Friday, adding to the depth chart.

If Cabrera, who began playing catch Friday, does not make significant progress over the next day or two, the Angels will put him on the 15-day disabled list and call up another position player.

“Orlando is the most pressing issue,” Manager Mike Scioscia said, “but with Bengie and Dallas back, I think we’re deep enough to absorb some things.”

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Donnelly dropped his appeal of the suspension when Bob Watson, who oversees discipline for Major League Baseball, offered to reduce it from 10 days to eight.

Donnelly felt he had a strong case because Washington Manager Frank Robinson asked umpires to check Donnelly’s glove before he threw a pitch, but it was made clear that whether Donnelly went through with Friday’s scheduled hearing or not, he would receive at least eight games.

“It wasn’t going any lower, so the decision was to take it now or later,” Donnelly said. “I talked to Scioscia, and he said to get it over with now.... If this were a court of law it would be thrown out on a technicality, but this is more like a dictatorship with one guy running the shop.”

Though National right fielder Jose Guillen, who played with the Angels last season, denied tipping off Robinson about the pine tar, Donnelly said there was “absolutely no question in my mind” that Guillen acted as an informant.

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Though Steve Finley, on the disabled list because of a right shoulder strain, fielded balls aggressively in warm-ups Friday, he was not strong enough to start swinging a bat, as expected. Scioscia said it was “highly unlikely” Finley would be activated when he’s eligible to come off the DL Wednesday, and the outfielder would probably need a minor league rehabilitation assignment before returning.... Outfielder Curtis Pride, designated for assignment Tuesday, accepted an assignment to Salt Lake.