BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : Doubting Smith Wants a Trade

Reliever Lee Smith has proclaimed himself fit enough to return to his closer role, “but I don’t think it’s going to happen here,” he said.

Smith, who has a major league-record 471 saves but has been slowed by a winter knee injury, has asked the Angels to trade him. With Troy Percival, who got the call and another save Wednesday, emerging as a top young reliever, Smith believes he no longer fits with the Angels.

The Angels are believed to have had informal trade talks about Smith with other teams, but General Manager Bill Bavasi said, “We are not trying anything specific with regards to Lee right now.”

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Manager Marcel Lachemann said he chose to recall pitcher Phil Leftwich from triple-A Vancouver for Wednesday night’s game instead of starting Shawn Boskie “because I think Shawn can do some things out of the bullpen that will really help us.” Boskie, demoted in mid-April, relieved Leftwich Wednesday.