Plagued by an elbow problem, Larry Walker will take it easy until the All-Star Break by serving as designated hitter in a three-game series starting Friday at Anaheim, Colorado Rockies Manager Buddy Bell said.

A magnetic resonance imaging exam this week showed Larry Walker's elbow "hasn't gotten any better" but has not gotten worse, either, Bell said Thursday in San Francisco.

Bell said he does not believe Walker will need another operation on the elbow -- he had arthroscopic surgery in January 1998 -- but the right-fielder will be sidelined at times this season.

"I don't think he' s going to miss a lot of games, but there are going to be periods when he's going to sit out," Bell said.

Walker was activated June 9 after missing 23 games when a stress reaction in the ulna bone in his right elbow landed him on the disabled list.

He did not play June 24 or June 27, and he was not in the lineup Monday in San Diego. He was came out of the second game of Tuesday's slit doubleheader in the fifth inning.

Instead of having him risk throws from the outfield, Bell said the Rockies decided to get Walker to the All-Star break -- three days of rest starting Monday -- by giving him the DH assignment against the Angels.

Walker is hitting .335 with four home runs and 28 RBI in 51 games this season, but he is one-for-13 in his past four games and nine-for-33 in his past 10 games.