Angel Notebook : Candelaria Says His Right Calf Still Numb

PALM SPRINGS — John Candelaria was back in camp Thursday, still limping, still numb and still perplexed by the loss of sensation in his lower right calf.

“I don’t know what it is, but I know it doesn’t feel right,” Candelaria said. “It’s still numb, the same way it’s been for two days. I can’t run on it, I can’t put any weight on it.”

And as long as the condition persists, Candelaria can’t pitch on it.

“I have no strength (in the leg) to hold me up after I come through,” he said.

Candelaria said he experienced the numbness about an hour after pitching six innings Tuesday. He underwent back X-rays Wednesday at Centinela Hospital Medical Center. The X-rays were negative.

“I never thought it was the back to start with,” Candelaria said. “There’s nothing wrong with a (spinal) disk.”

So what, then, is wrong?

The Angels are at a loss.

“I read the doctor’s report, and as he said, there’s no use even speculating,” Manager Gene Mauch said. “It could be absolutely nothing. Maybe the elastic in his sock was too tight, who knows?

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anything like this.”

Roger Williams, the Angels’ team therapist, called the injury very unusual. “We don’t know how it happened,” he said. The only therapy prescribed for Candelaria has been treatment with an electrical muscle stimulator.

“We want to keep the strength in the muscle,” Williams said. “But we can’t do anything to help the nerve come back.”

Dr. Lewis Yocum, the Angels’ team physician, will re-examine the leg today. Yocum said he had wanted to wait 48 hours to see if the condition had changed.

Candelaria reported no change Thursday.

“Probably the most encouraging thing is that it was not worse today,” General Manager Mike Port said. “Right now, there’s no reason to be concerned, or not to be concerned, until further examination. It’s a toss-up situation. But I don’t see it being an imminent problem.”

Candelaria views it the same way.

“It’s not scary,” he said. “I’m not worried about it. It’s there. And when it goes away, I’ll try and pitch.”

Reports that the Angels were “shopping around” center fielder Gary Pettis and that Dodger General Manager Al Campanis was interested drew the ire of Mauch.

“Al Campanis has diarrhea of the mouth,” Mauch snapped when asked about the rumor. “That’s ludicrous. There hasn’t been one discussion about that--and I would know.”

Port would neither confirm nor deny the report.

“We’ve talked with a lot of clubs, 12 in the last two days,” Port said. “I am not at liberty to discuss the specifics. There has just been some general conversation--and a lot of speculation. And most of it is inaccurate.

“Nothing of any substance has been discussed with anybody. Suffice to say, we are not shopping around anybody with this club right now.”

Angel Notes The Angels lost their third straight game, 7-3, to the Seattle Mariners Thursday and are 6-15 overall this spring. “No more excuses,” Gene Mauch said. “We pitched terrible, we fielded poorly and we hit fair. If you want to win, you better do two of those things pretty good.” . . . Kirk McCaskill was the losing pitcher, giving up 6 hits, 2 walks and 5 earned runs in 5 innings. “It could’ve been better, it could’ve been worse,” McCaskill said. “This was my third time out. My arm’s about where it should be. I threw 80 pitches last time and about 100 today, so I’m progressing. But I want to get to where I can throw 150 pitches and still be strong, and I’m not there yet. Hopefully, I’ll get there after two more (starts).” . . . Mike Cook, competing for the 10th and final spot on the Angel pitching staff, stumbled on his latest step, allowing 3 hits and 1 run in 1 inning. . . . Butch Wynegar hasn’t made anyone forget Bob Boone behind the plate. Mariner runners stole four bases in five attempts Thursday. For Wynegar, that’s eight stolen bases allowed in two days. . . . Jack Howell, who has been tinkering around at second base during practice all spring, finally received some game action at the position. Playing the final three innings at second, Howell handled two chances--one a fine play, with Howell backhanding the ball in the hole and throwing out swift John Moses at first base. “I surprised myself that I got to that ball,” Howell said. “I don’t know enough about second base to know how I did today. I don’t know if I was standing in the right place, if I was making the right cutoffs. It might not ever happen again, but it did today, and it was kinda fun.” Mauch didn’t want anyone construing Howell-at-second as any kind of trend. “I wanted to keep him and (Doug) DeCinces and (Brian) Downing in the lineup together, and that was the best way I could do it,” Mauch said. “It’s not an indication of anything other than how flexible we might be if something comes up.” And about Howell’s play on Moses? Mauch shrugged. “It was a nice play, but George Hendrick could’ve made it,” he said. . . . Two more hits by Devon White raised his average to .378. He also had an RBI, giving him a total of 16 for the spring. Hendrick added a pair doubles in two at-bats. . . . The Angels announced that four players--infielder Bill Merrifield, outfielders Reggie Montgomery and Dante Bichette and pitcher David Martinez--have been optioned to Edmonton.