Tyler Skaggs could be just what doctor ordered for ailing Angels rotation

ANAHEIM >> If not now, then when? If not Tyler Skaggs, then who?

The Angels have only four healthy starting pitchers available at the moment, one shy of the usual five-man rotation, after right-hander Nick Tropeano was discovered to have suffered a to ligament in his right elbow that’s likely to require Tommy John reconstructive surgery.

The right-handed Skaggs could fill the void in the rotation Tuesday in Kansas City, the Angels’ fifth game on a six-game trip that begins Friday in Houston. He could slip into Tropeano’s No. 4 spot in the rotation after another in a string of standout starts Wednesday for Triple-A Salt Lake.

Or so it would seem.

Manager Mike Scioscia was noncommittal when asked about Skaggs’ future.

Skaggs had 12 strikeouts in 5 2/ 3 innings in Salt Lake’s 5-0 victory Wednesday over Iowa, a superb follow-up to his club-record 14-strikeout performance July 14 against Omaha. Skaggs (3-2) gave up one hit and walked three Wednesday. He threw 94 pitches, including 62 for strikes.

“I think Tyler is in a position right now of trying to ea his way into a major league rotation with performance,” Scioscia said. “In his last three or four starts in Triple-A, we’ve seen some strides toward that. Whenever he’s ready, we’ll be looking to give him a shot in our rotation.

“But not until then.”

Scioscia had a specific list of items the Angels would need to see from Skaggs before calling him up to make his first start since he was sidelined by Tommy John surgery two years ago. Most of them predictable, but throwing a certain number of pitches in a game was not one of them.

“It might not be the things you [reporters] are looking at as far as the line score, but I think the evaluation of everything from his command to the way the baseball is coming out of his hand, to how strong he finishes,” Scioscia said.

“There are markers to look at … to evaluate how his start is. Tyler’s have been good. You’re going to question what his command is and whether he can fine-tune stuff. Some of this stuff goes beyond the box score and we’ll have an evaluation and see how he goes.”

Scioscia said he still considers Skaggs, a 25-year-old Woodland Hills native, to be a young pitcher. After all, Skaggs has made only 31 appearances over three years with the Angels and the Arizona Diamondbacks. His last big-league game was July 31, 2014.

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“He’s a young pitcher, yes,” Scioscia said. “It’s one thing making it to the big leagues. It’s another carving out a career. We have very, very high expectations of the pitcher he can be. Hopefully, he can reach those.”

Pujols update

Designated hitter Albert Pujols was back in the Angels’ lineup after he was hit in the head by Texas reliever Tony Baette’s 92-mph fastball in the seventh inning Tuesday. Dr. Craig Milhouse examined Pujols and cleared him to play. Pujols’ desire to play didn’t surprise Scioscia.

Despite the Angels’ lowly 42-52 record and fourth-place standing in the AL West going into Wednesday’s series finale against the Rangers, the Angels continue to come to work expecting better days are just around the coer, according to Scioscia.

“We’ve got some guys who are banged up and playing every day and we’ve had some guys who need a day off and they’re still in the lineup and they keep grinding,” he said. “Albert got hit in the head last night and he’s adamant that he’s ready to go. He wants to stay in the game. He wants to play.”

Pujols slugged four homers in three games going into Wednesday.