BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Myers Joins Team in Texas

Catcher Greg Myers, who was traded from Toronto along with outfielder Rob Ducey on Thursday in exchange for reliever Mark Eichhorn, didn’t start Friday night after traveling most of the day to join the team in Texas. But interim manager John Wathan said that Myers, who bats left-handed, will play “quite a bit” against right-handed pitchers.

Catchers Mike Fitzgerald, John Orton and Ron Tingley are batting a combined .201 with eight home runs and 19 runs batted in. And Orton, once expected to be the starter, has a .174 average and a shoulder injury. He isn’t expected to return before the September roster expansion.

Myers has been traded from a first-place team to a non-contender, but he says there are positives in joining the Angels. For one, he can commute to Anaheim from his home in Riverside. And he will be playing again--instead of mostly watching.

Myers batted .262 with eight home runs and 36 RBIs in 107 games last season, platooning with Pat Borders. But this year he has played in only 22 games, batting .230.