Shields Is Deemed Too Valuable

Dodger General Manager Paul DePodesta did not hesitate including one of baseball’s best set-up men, Guillermo Mota, in a trade to acquire a starting pitcher, Florida’s Brad Penny, on Friday.

Faced with a similar decision but with a reliever a notch down in the bullpen pecking order -- Scot Shields -- the Angels deemed their versatile reliever too valuable to give up in a potential deal for Arizona ace Randy Johnson.

“If that’s the case, it’s flattering, but you never know the truth,” said Shields, the wiry right-hander who is 5-2 with a 3.07 earned-run average after recording his fourth save of the season with 1 1/3 perfect innings in Sunday’s 3-2 win over Seattle. “I’m glad it didn’t happen. With the team we have here, we can make a good run.”

The Angels were believed to have offered pitcher Ramon Ortiz and first-base prospect Casey Kotchman for Johnson; the Diamondbacks were believed to have asked for those two players as well as Shields and another prospect.

But the Angels did not relish the thought of parting with Shields, who filled a key set-up role earlier this season when Brendan Donnelly and Troy Percival were injured and has continued to play an important role even with Donnelly and Percival sound.

Shields, who mixes a 94-mph fastball with a sweeping slider, is resilient, he can throw multiple innings -- he has pitched 73 1/3 innings in his 43 appearances, striking out 81 and walking 27 -- and he has limited opponents to a .212 average, including a .237 mark against left-handers.

Sunday provided a prime example of Shields’ value. With Manager Mike Scioscia determined to give Percival, Donnelly and set-up man Francisco Rodriguez the day off, he summoned Shields, who threw one inning Saturday and three innings Thursday, with two out and a runner on first in the eighth inning.

Shields struck out Miguel Olivo with a nasty slider, opened the ninth with strikeouts of Justin Leone and Jose Lopez and retired Ichiro Suzuki on a groundout to end the game.

“He’s an integral part of what we’re trying to do here,” Scioscia said. “If we made any deal with Shields, we’d have some big shoes to fill. He can pitch from the fifth to ninth innings with a power arm, and he can give you a start if you need one. He’s not just a guy who eats up middle innings. He’s an impact pitcher. We appreciate the talent Scot has, as does all of baseball.”

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Jarrod Washburn was supposed to complete a rigorous bullpen workout Sunday in anticipation of his return from the disabled list later this week. The Angel left-hander never made it to the bullpen mound.

After playing catch and extending himself to long toss, Washburn (10-5, 4.83 ERA) felt too much discomfort in his rib cage to proceed to the mound, a setback that will probably push his return back by at least another week and keep Ortiz in the rotation.

Washburn, who is suffering from a strained ligament near his sternum, was eligible to come off the DL on Friday, but Scioscia said he will have to complete a full bullpen workout -- Washburn will try again this week in Minnesota -- before returning.

“He has to feel pain-free and throwing the ball at a certain level to show he’s ready to get out there,” Scioscia said. “He’s making progress, but he’s not at a level where he can make his next start. He didn’t feel strong enough to do what he needed to do [Sunday].”

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X-rays on shortstop David Eckstein’s left kneecap, which was hit by a pitch in the 10th inning Saturday, were normal. Eckstein was available Sunday but didn’t play.... Catcher Bengie Molina, who left Saturday’s game in the seventh inning because of a split fingernail on the index finger of his right hand, sat out Sunday but hopes to return Tuesday.... Vladimir Guerrero, who left Saturday in the fifth inning because of a bruised left shoulder, started Sunday, doubling and scoring in the sixth.