Quick Recovery May Lead to Tuesday Start for Langston

The Angels were so encouraged by pitcher Mark Langston’s workout and subsequent medical evaluation Thursday that Manager Terry Collins is tentatively planning to start the left-hander Tuesday night against the Chicago White Sox.

“He’s amazed, the doctor is amazed, and I’m surprised by it,” Collins said. “I thought he’d need more time and we’d need to put him on the disabled list. But he threw great and he threw hard and there’s no swelling [in his elbow]. Whatever was bothering him is gone.”

Langston, suffering from an inflamed elbow, returned to Orange Country from Boston on April 30. Tests revealed no bone chips, ligament or muscle damage, but doctors advised Langston earlier this week to stop throwing for several days.

After throwing again Thursday, Langston was examined by team physician Lewis Yocum, who was pleased with Langston’s progress and gave him the OK to resume a normal throwing schedule.

Collins thought he’d be sidelined for at least another week or two because of this elbow injury.

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Angel designated hitter Eddie Murray played his 2,997th game Friday night and is on pace to become only the sixth player to play 3,000 games Monday night at Anaheim Stadium. The other five are Pete Rose (3,562), Carl Yastrzemski (3,308), Hank Aaron (3,298), Ty Cobb (3,033) and Stan Musial (3,026). . . . Darin Erstad’s first-inning homer Friday was the Angels’ first to lead off a game since September 25, when Randy Velarde opened a game against Seattle with a homer.

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TODAY’S GAME

ANGELS’ JASON DICKSON (5-1, 3.13 ERA) vs. BREWERS’ SCOTT KARL (1-5, 5.45 ERA),

County Stadium,

Milwaukee, 11 a.m.

Update--Not only has Dickson been the Angels’ best pitcher, he has been the team’s most resilient starter. After getting bombed for six runs on 12 hits by New York on April 8, Dickson gave up one run on five hits in seven innings to beat New York on April 14. After Boston rocked him for seven runs on eight hits in four innings April 30, Dickson bounced back to beat the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night, giving up two runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings. Dickson has said he’d rather give up a solo home run than walk a batter, and statistics support his claim--the rookie right-hander has given up six homers and walked only nine in 46 innings.