The Angels' Vernon Wells swings for a two-run home run against the Baltimore Orioles in the fourth inning. GAIL BURTON, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BALTIMORE – The ink was barely dry on the seven-year, $126 million contract extension Vernon Wells signed with the Toronto Blue Jays in December 2006 before it was being called one of the worst contracts in baseball.

The only worse financial decision at this point might be for Wells to exercise the opt-out clause in the contract this fall.

“It’s just one of those things you put in your contract and then you don’t think about it,” Wells said. “It was just in there more because I didn’t know where the organization was going to be.

“I never really thought about using it. You do a contract and you ask for certain things. That happened to be one I asked for and got. … To be honest with you, I think about it as often as I think about the money.”

It is a lot of money. The opt-out clause is available only this offseason. By exercising it and voiding the final three years of the contract, Wells would be leaving $63 million on the table, a total he couldn’t hope to match as a free agent this winter following the worst season of his career.

“I’m not thinking about that. I wasn’t planning on using it,” Wells said. “Why would you waive your no-trade clause (to accept a trade to the Angels) and then opt out one year later?”

Maybe because that one year was such an overwhelming disappointment it became an unpleasant situation in which to remain?

Wells’ season certainly has been a disappointment. He was 2 for 4 Sunday with a two-run home run, giving him a .299 average (26 for 87) and 11 extra-base hits (four doubles, three triples and four home runs) over his past 23 games.

But that hasn’t done much to lift his career-low batting average (.219), on-base percentage (.252) or meager RBI total (59).

But that does not mean his season has been so painful he would like to purge all memories by leaving.

“Maybe it’s just society, but people put too much on struggling,” Wells said. “All of a sudden, everything is negative – you’re a bad guy; you’re unhappy. It’s a struggle, yeah. But that’s all it is. I’ve struggled before. Baseball is such a different game. You can be an All-Star one year, struggle the next year and become an All-Star again.

“It is what it is. … (Southern California) is a great place to live, a great place to play. I’ve got a lot of good years left and I look forward to having them there.”

REYNOLDS REACTION

Orioles infielder Mark Reynolds was hit in the head by Angels pitcher Ervin Santana in his at-bat following Reynolds’ three-run home run Saturday night. Reynolds was one of two batters Santana hit. The other, Nolan Reimold, was hit immediately after Reynolds’ home run.

Reynolds popped up and remained in the game for a few innings Saturday. Reynolds had a CT scan Saturday night but was not in the lineup Sunday for “precautionary” reasons only, Orioles manager Buck Showalter said.

Reynolds said Sunday morning he felt he had been targeted by Santana.

“I think he hit me on purpose. I don’t think he hit me in the head on purpose,” Reynolds told the Associated Press reporter in Baltimore. “I watched the video and the catcher set up in and he missed the spot by two feet. Major leaguers don’t do that.”

Santana, who leads Angels pitchers with eight hit batters this season, and Scioscia denied there was any intent behind Saturday’s hit batters.

Orioles starter Alfredo Simon went up and in with a 94 mph fastball to Torii Hunter in the first inning Sunday and also hit Mark Trumbo with a pitch. Later in the game, Jeff Mathis was hit in the head by Orioles reliever Brad Bergesen. Mathis remained in the game and said he was fine afterward.

“It kind of scared me at first,” Mathis said. “But when I got up, I was fine.”

Even though plate umpire Laz Diaz warned both benches during Simon’s first inning, he did not eject Bergesen after Mathis was hit, telling Scioscia he didn’t believe there was any intent on the pitcher’s part. Mathis agreed.

“Yeah, a guy like that isn’t going to do that when he just came into the game,” Mathis said. “There’s always talk (like Reynolds’ comments) after something happens. But after that first inning, it was all washed away.”

NOTES

Rookie outfielder Mike Trout fouled a ball off his left leg during his final at-bat in Saturday’s game. He finished out the at-bat but was not in the lineup Sunday against a right-handed pitcher.

“It’s good. Just a little sore,” Trout said Sunday. Scioscia said Trout was “available to do some things” Sunday and would be available to play in Toronto where the Angels will face left-handed starting pitchers Monday (Ricky Romero) and Tuesday (Brett Cecil).

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