Colon on Schedule for Spring

Bartolo Colon began throwing last week for the first time since a shoulder injury knocked him out of the American League championship series in October, and the Angel ace is scheduled to throw off a mound Feb. 1, two weeks before spring training begins.

The Angels sent two trainers to the Dominican Republic to examine Colon over the weekend, and General Manager Bill Stoneman said the AL Cy Young Award winner’s rehabilitation from a shoulder strain has gone as scheduled.

“He’s fine, there is no pain, and what’s good is he’s not ahead of the program,” Stoneman said. “These guys are athletes -- they always want to test themselves -- but he’s following the program.

“He’s throwing on flat ground, at 120 feet, and he’ll lengthen that out until he gets on a mound.”

Colon, who went 21-8 with a 3.48 earned-run average last season, was one of three Angels named to the Dominican Republic’s preliminary roster for the World Baseball Classic, which will be held in March.

Stoneman said he would not try to block Colon’s participation in the event, as long as the pitcher is sound.

“As long as he doesn’t have a physical problem, I don’t have a problem with it,” Stoneman said. “It all depends on if he has a setback.”

Right fielder Vladimir Guerrero and pitcher Ervin Santana also were named to the Dominican roster. Closer Francisco Rodriguez, pitcher Kelvim Escobar, outfielder Juan Rivera and third baseman Edgardo Alfonzo were named to Venezuela’s roster, and reliever J.C. Romero is on Puerto Rico’s roster.

Reliever Scot Shields is the only Angel on the U.S. team’s roster.

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Reliever Brendan Donnelly agreed to a $950,000 deal, bringing all seven arbitration-eligible Angels under contract.

Donnelly, who went 9-3 with a 3.72 ERA last season, had asked for $1.05 million and the Angels had offered $850,000.