"Scott Kazmir began his second month in exile Thursday, marking the occasion with his fifth start at the team's extended spring-training camp in Arizona, a state the left-hander has spent so much time in he probably has voter rights.

It has been clear since the Angels put Kazmir on the disabled list because of "lower-back soreness" on April 8 that they would stretch out his rehabilitation process for as long as possible.

Considered one of the game's top young left-handers in 2008, Kazmir, 27, slumped to a 9-15 record and 5.94 earned-run average in 2010, striking out a career-low 93, walking 79 and giving up a career-high 25 home runs in 150 innings.

The velocity of Kazmir's fastball, once in the 94-mph range, was way down. He lost confidence in his slider, and his mechanics were out of whack.

Kazmir looked awful in his first and only start this season, giving up five runs and five hits, walking two and hitting two batters in 12/3 innings at Kansas City on April 3.

The Angels, convinced Kazmir had made no progress correcting the problems that plagued him last season, sent him out before he could do any more damage and put more of a drain on the club.

And the better 21-year-old right-hander Tyler Chatwood pitched, the more Kazmir seemed out of sight, out of mind.

But Thursday, there were indications of a possible thaw between the Angels and Kazmir, who is being paid $14.5 million this season, $12 million in salary and $2.5 million to buy out his $13.5-million option for 2012."