With calming health concerns about Bartolo Colon and an inability to trade Jeff Weaver, the Angels designated Weaver for assignment on Friday and recalled his younger brother, Jered, from Triple-A Salt Lake as his replacement.

Jered Weaver's 4-0 record and 1.37 ERA during his first few weeks in the Major Leagues were too impressive for the club to ignore. Jered will take his brother's spot in the rotation and start on Monday in Seattle.

"Jered has made a statement that he's ready for the challenge," manager Mike Scioscia said. "With Bart healthy, this makes our staff better -- both now and in the future."

After signing a one-year, $8.325 million dollar deal in February, Jeff Weaver struggled to a 3-10 record. He is tied for the Major League lead in losses and holds a 6.29 ERA.

After five recent quality starts in a run of six outings, Jeff appeared as if he might have been turning his season around. But that reformation took a major step back on Tuesday. In two-plus innings, he allowed six runs on nine hits as the Rockies pounded nearly every pitch he threw in a 12-4 loss.

While that disappointing start may have played into Friday's decision, it appeared the Angels had already decided that once Colon showed he would have no further shoulder complications, Jeff was out and Jered was in -- trade or no trade.

"[Jeff] showed positive signs until his last [start]," Scioscia said. "But it was a matter of, with a half-season under his belt, the performance we expected wasn't quite there."

The Halos now have 10 days to trade the starter. If the club can't make a deal within that time, the Angels will have to release him and pay the remainder of his contract. Even if they do make a deal for Weaver, the team will likely have to pay much of the salary to convince other teams to take a chance on him.

Many thought it would take a Jeff Weaver demotion to the bullpen to bring his younger brother back to the Majors, but Scioscia said sticking the seven-year veteran into a relief role wasn't considered. Doing that, the manager said, wouldn't be fair to Jeff, whom he feels can still help another team win as a starter.

"He's going to pitch well for some club, because you can see it's in him," Scioscia said.

The team has shopped Jeff during the past few weeks, but found little interest. Reports have surfaced, though, that the Dodgers -- whom he pitched for last year -- are in need for a pitcher and might be willing to give their former starter another chance.

Jered Weaver, who was set to arrive at Angel Stadium during Friday's contest with the Dodgers, began his Major League career by not allowing a run in his first 13 1/3 innings. With a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 5.50, which tops all Angels starters, Jered became the second Angels pitcher in history to win his first four starts.

Only Bo Belinsky, who won his first five starts in 1962, has done better.

"We don't expect he's going to be perfect," general manager Bill Stoneman said. "But we think he's going to have a real good career, and now is a good time to pick it up where he left off and have a good finish to the season."

Since rejoining Salt Lake, Jered tied a club record with 14 strikeouts on June 23 and went 2-0 in three appearances. All told, he was 6-1 with two complete games and a 1.99 ERA for the Bees.

Jered has yet to face any Major League opponent for the second time, so it remains unclear if his initial success was earned by being unknown or simply a product of his ability.

Teammates feel it's definitely the latter.

"He has great deception," catcher Mike Napoli said. "He can throw any pitch for a strike at any time and any time a pitcher can do that, they can be effective."

Complicating the decision is the fact that a younger brother is forcing his older sibling out of a job. It may make the release easier to take for Jeff, though, because he knows it's paving the way for his younger brother's career.

Still, Jered is likely to have a funny feeling about his second stint in the Major Leagues.

"Jered is human, and he probably has his brother on his mind," Stoneman said. "But this is sports, and stuff like this happens in sports.

"If Jered is thinking about his brother, who can blame him? As long as baseball is on his mind in Seattle, that's what we want."