"General Manager Tony Reagins was in Salt Lake City on Tuesday night for Scott Kazmir's triple-A start against Sacramento. If there was an air-sickness bag in the seat pocket in front of Reagins, he might have used it.

Kazmir didn't exactly impress the boss in his fifth rehabilitation start, pitching so poorly he may have officially punched his ticket out of Anaheim.

The struggling left-hander was tagged for six earned runs and five hits in 12/3 innings, walking three, striking out one and hitting a batter.

Kazmir retired only four of the 13 batters he faced, and he gave up all six runs in the second inning before being pulled. Of his 53 pitches, 25 were strikes.

The Angels had hoped a month in extended spring training in Arizona and another month in the minor leagues would help Kazmir regain the form that made him one of baseball's better young left-handers.

But Kazmir, who has lost considerable velocity on his fastball and command of all three of his pitches, has made no progress — he has a 17.02 earned-run average for Salt Lake, allowing 29 earned runs, 22 hits and 20 walks and striking out 14 in 151/3 innings.

Kazmir's 30-day rehab window would give him time to make one more start, but it appears the Angels will have no choice but to release him and absorb the $14.5 million on his 2011 contract.

Kazmir, 27, was acquired from Tampa Bay in August 2009 in what will go down as one of the team's worst trades ever."