Angels’ Colon ready for return to majors

 

LAS VEGAS (AP) -Bartolo Colon appeared to be in midseason form.
The Los Angeles Angels right-hander, working his way back from a torn rotator cuff that sidelined him for the final two months last season, threw seven shutout innings for Triple-A Salt Lake against Las Vegas in a final rehab tuneup Sunday.
Colon allowed three hits, walking one and striking out three. He threw 95 pitches, 68 for strikes.
He was scheduled to start for the Angels on Friday against Seattle in the opener of a three-game series at Anaheim.
But with the Angels getting rained out Sunday, and possibly Monday against the Boston Red Sox, Colon’s first start could be moved back. Colon said he was still scheduled to pitch Friday, but had not heard from the team.
“I’m ready, I’m happy,” Colon said through an interpreter. “I’m a little nervous because I’m not 100 percent.”
Colon, who earned the victory in a Salt Lake 8-2 win, reached 96 miles per hour in the first inning and 95 in the seventh.
“I didn’t know that I was throwing that hard,” said Colon, who added that he was more worried about his elbow than his shoulder.
Colon was scheduled to throw on the side in Tucson on Tuesday, and was expected to return to Anaheim on Wednesday.
The Angels have a two-game series at Oakland on Tuesday and Wednesday, then have a day off Thursday before the Seattle series.
In 2005, Colon was the American League Cy Young Award winner with a 21-8 record and a 3.48 ERA. He went 1-5 with a 5.11 ERA and missed most of the 2006 season with a torn rotator cuff.