Injured Matthews left off roster

BOSTON -- The eight-year wait that appeared to end when the Angels clinched the American League West title Sept. 23 grew painfully longer for center fielder Gary Matthews Jr. on Tuesday.

After a brief workout in Fenway Park on the eve of the American League division series against the Boston Red Sox, Matthews deemed his left knee too painful to play in the first round.

The Angels left the star defender off the 25-man playoff roster, a significant blow to the team’s playoff chances and a devastating blow to Matthews, who signed a five-year, $50-million deal with the Angels because he thought they provided the best chance for him to play in his first postseason game.

“I’m not the happiest camper on earth right now,” Matthews, 33, said after numerous meetings with Manager Mike Scioscia and the team’s medical staff. “Everyone wants to come to the playoffs being 100% and being able to help your team, and I’m not able to do that right now.”

Matthews hit .252 with 19 home runs and 72 runs batted in, but it’s the Angels’ defense that will bear the brunt of his loss.

Matthews has been Gold Glove-caliber, robbing several players of home runs and extra-base hits, and when he is sound he has the speed, route-running ability and experience to cover a lot of ground in spacious and quirky Fenway Park, with its 420-foot Bermuda-like triangle in right-center field.

Matthews will be replaced by rookie Reggie Willits, who struggled defensively in his one career start in Fenway in August. Chone Figgins, who will replace the sore-armed Vladimir Guerrero in right, has three career Fenway starts in right.

That’s a lot of outfield inexperience for a best-of-five playoff series against one of baseball’s strongest offensive teams, but Matthews knows a healthier, athletic young player in center will give the Angels a better chance than a gimpy, experienced one.

“The thought of not playing is hard, but if I can’t do the things I usually do, I’m not helping the team,” Matthews said. “I don’t have my agility, my regular explosiveness. It would be tough to steal a base, to jump against the wall, to cut balls down in the gaps, to make strong throws. I don’t want to hurt the team.”

The Angels considered carrying Matthews in case he was ready to play by Game 3 on Sunday, but Matthews didn’t want to risk the chance of aggravating his patellar tendinitis and being deactivated against the Red Sox.

Baseball instituted a new rule this season allowing teams, with commissioner’s office approval, to replace injured players during a postseason series, but the injured player would not be eligible for the following round. If Matthews went down in the division series, he wouldn’t be able to return until the World Series.

“I’m trying to be positive and hope it gets better as soon as possible,” Matthews said. “Hopefully the team plays well, gets through the first round, and I’ll have the opportunity to help them in the next round.”

Matthews’ left knee has bothered him periodically since June, when he landed awkwardly after leaping at the wall in an effort to rob Ken Griffey Jr. of a home run in Cincinnati, and the switch-hitter also missed 10 games in September because of a sprained right ankle.

He aggravated the knee last Wednesday in Texas while catching a ball on the warning track, and hasn’t played since. Matthews swung the bat well in practice Tuesday and appeared strong running wind sprints, but those looks were deceiving.

“It’s really painful -- I went out there today, and it wasn’t where I felt it should be,” Matthews said. “I’m old enough to know the difference between playing in pain and being injured, and right now it’s injured. . . . I want to play in the playoffs, but I have to take personal goals out of the equation and do what’s best for everyone.”

Willits, who spent most of his time in left field this season, has looked shaky at times in center, but 13 of his 23 starts in center came in September, and he’s feeling more comfortable.

“I’ve gotten a few more repetitions out there -- I’ll be ready,” Willits said. “Center field is different here, but I can’t worry about it. I’ve got to go out there and react. I’m going to treat it like any other game.”

Fenway is hardly any other place -- the Angels are 14-22 here since 2000, including a division series loss in 2004, and Angels right-hander John Lackey, who will oppose Red Sox ace Josh Beckett today in Game 1, is 1-4 with a 7.46 earned-run average in seven starts here.

“The fans can really make a difference in this park,” said Angels shortstop Orlando Cabrera, who played on Boston’s 2004 World Series-winning team. “You lose your focus for one moment, and they’re all over you, scoring a lot of runs.”

Lackey gave up nine earned runs in 9 2/3 innings in two starts at Fenway this season, including an Aug. 17 debacle in which he gave up six runs in the first inning of the first game of a day-night doubleheader.

Boston sluggers Manny Ramirez (.435, four home runs) and David Ortiz (.385, two home runs) have done the most damage against Lackey, but the Angels’ ace remains confident.

He’s 2-1 with a 3.29 ERA in eight playoff appearances and was dominant in his last seven starts this season, going 4-1 with a 1.92 ERA.

“This time of year, it doesn’t matter where you are -- it’s the postseason, it’s where you want to be, I’ll pitch anywhere,” Lackey said. “ . . . I don’t think they’ll start with any extra runs [today] because of what I’ve done here in the last two starts. So it doesn’t much matter. I’ll be here, and we’ll get it on.”

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