Injury-plagued Loaiza hopes return to A’s near

Back. Shoulder. Neck. Knee.

Two-time All-Star right-hander Esteban Loaiza has injured them all since signing a three-year, $21.4 million contract with the Oakland Athletics before last season.

But if all goes well in Loaiza's minor league rehab start for the Sacramento River Cats against the 51s tonight at Cashman Field, the 2003 American League Cy Young runner-up is expected to join Oakland's rotation for the rest of the season.

The 35-year-old Loaiza, who overcame a shaky start last year -- and back and shoulder problems -- to finish 11-9 with a 4.89 ERA for the A's, is scheduled to throw 100 pitches tonight as he makes a third consecutive start for the first time all season.

"Hopefully (tonight) is my last rehab start and I'll be up with the (A's)," said Loaiza, who allowed two runs on seven hits with no walks in four innings Monday in a 5-2 victory over Oklahoma at Sacramento. "My main goal is to stay strong, throw a lot of strikes and build up my velocity. Right now it's really low. I think my high is 83 (mph).

"I'm trying to build it back up, but I know it takes time. Right now, the way I feel is like the first month of spring training."

Loaiza, 0-1 with a 4.11 ERA in four starts for the River Cats, threw 78 pitches, 49 for strikes, on Monday but said he didn't feel loose.

"My shoulder was a little stiff and sore, especially in the cold weather," he said. "Hopefully pitching in the heat loosens it up and I throw more than 88 mph.

"My body is 100 percent ready to be up (in the big leagues)."

Loaiza, who was 21-9 with a 2.90 ERA for the Chicago White Sox in 2003, missed the first six weeks of this season with a bulging disk in his neck -- suffered in his final spring start -- then tore the meniscus in his right knee in his first rehab start for Sacramento and underwent arthroscopic surgery nine weeks ago.

Loaiza, who has yet to play for the A's this season, has increased his pitch count from 61 to 78 in his last two starts, and River Cats manager Tony DeFrancesco said he'll throw 100 tonight, win or lose.

"He's going to compete out there and he's going to try to get locked in for his next start in the major leagues, whenever that is," DeFrancesco said. "He's a finesse pitcher now. He's not overpowering, but he knows how to move the ball and change speeds."

Loaiza, in his 13th big league season, has pitched for seven teams and is 123-108 with a career 4.62 ERA.

Born in Tijuana, Mexico, Loaiza has his sights set on passing Fernando Valenzuela for most victories by a Mexican pitcher. Valenzuela went 173-153 from 1980 to 1997.

"I really want to do it, but the way baseball is, you just never know what's going to happen," he said. "I just want to get back on the mound, finish the season strong this year and then come back next year and do the best job I can."

• NOTES -- Two-time All-Star Shea Hillenbrand was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers and joined the 51s on Friday, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Las Vegas pitcher Wesley Wright was optioned to Double-A Jacksonville.