Angels hope Lincecum will be ready in 20-30 days
Tim Lincecum is officially a member of the Los Angeles Angels after signing a one-year, $2.5-million contract with the club Friday, but "The Freak" won't be immediately unleashed upon the big leagues by his new club.
Angels general manager Billy Eppler told reporters he hopes the 31-year-old right-hander, who spent the offseason recovering from hip surgery, will be ready to contribute in the majors in 20-30 days.
Lincecum will throw a private 75- to 100-pitch simulated game in Tempe, Ariz., on Monday, after which the Angels will decide where he goes in the minors, Eppler said.
The former two-time Cy Young winner drew interest from a handful of teams offering starting jobs, but ultimately chose the Angels because of west coast "curiosity."
He decided against a return to the San Francisco Giants because his former club only offered him a relief role.
"What my expectations were and what their expectations were (for me) didn't exactly line up," Lincecum explained.
The Angels have been decimated by injuries during the season, and are without Garrett Richards, Andrew Heaney, C.J. Wilson, and Tyler Skaggs in their rotation, so the addition of Lincecum would be a boon to their big-league club, which sits third in the AL West at 19-22.
Lincecum owns a 108-83 record with a 3.61 ERA while striking out 9.3 hitters per nine innings during his nine-year MLB career.