Angels get insurance for first base

The Los Angeles Angels didn’t waste much time finding another hitter after Juan Rivera broke his left leg playing winter ball in Venezuela.

The Angels agreed with free-agent first baseman Shea Hillenbrand on a $6.5 million, one-year contract on Tuesday.

Rivera, injured Friday when he was running to first base and collided with a pitcher covering the bag, is scheduled to undergo surgery on his left tibia Wednesday in Florida. It’s uncertain how long he will be sidelined.

Hillenbrand, who split last season between Toronto and San Francisco, gets $6 million next year, and the Angels hold a $6.5 million option for 2008 with a $500,000 buyout.

The 31-year-old Hillenbrand hit a combined .277, with a career-high 21 home runs and 68 RBIs in 141 games last season. He finished with 73 runs and 27 doubles.

D’backs interested in Johnson

If the New York Yankees are serious about trading Randy Johnson, the Arizona Diamondbacks would love to have him back.

Arizona confirmed its talks with New York about the Big Unit, who won four Cy Young Awards with the Diamondbacks from 1999-2004, but thus far the Yankees’ asking price has been too high.

The San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants also have talked with New York about Johnson, a baseball official who had been briefed on the talks said, speaking on condition of anonymity because no deal had been agreed to.

If the Yankees do trade Johnson, who is owed $16 million next year in the final season of his contract, New York would consider pursuing Barry Zito, the top available starting pitcher on the free-agent market.

Johnson, who lives in the Phoenix area, was 17-11 with a 5.00 ERA last season and is coming off back surgery on Oct. 26. He went 103-49 in six seasons with the Diamondbacks, leading the N.L. in ERA three times and victories once.