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Escobar taking few days off

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By Lyle Spencer / MLB.com

04/12/09 5:30 PM ET

ANAHEIM -- Angels right-hander Kelvim Escobar said on Sunday that he was shutting it down "for a few days" after some residual soreness surfaced in his right shoulder while playing catch.

"It's in the front of the shoulder, not bad, nothing to worry about," said Escobar, who has made a remarkably swift recovery from shoulder surgery performed last July 29. "I'm just being careful with it now. I'll be back. I just want to be safe, not push it too hard."

Fellow starter John Lackey (right forearm strain) has extended to 150 feet in his long toss, heading toward the goal of 200 feet. That gets him to flat-ground tossing and then, the final step, on the mound.

Also making progress is Ervin Santana (right elbow sprain). Like Escobar and Lackey, Santana hopes to be back in the rotation sometime in May.

Lyle Spencer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.