Skaggs to start at Kansas City
HOUSTON — Tyler Skaggs reported feeling fine after a weekend bullpen session, and that was the final confirmation the Angels needed: The 25-year-old lefthander will start against Kansas City on Tuesday at Kauffman Stadium, in what will be his first time on a major league mound in two years.
“I think we’re all very excited to see him be ready to take the ball,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “He got the work in he needed. He’s ready to go after that challenge of pitching in the big leagues.”
The Angels drafted Skaggs out of Santa Monica High 40th overall in the 2009 draft, 15 spots after they took Mike Trout, two picks before they selected Garrett Richards.
They traded Skaggs to Arizona 13 months later as the centerpiece to a package for Dan Haren.
Skaggs spent the next two years as a consensus top-20 prospect across baseball, then debuted for the Diamondbacks a month after he turned 21.
The Angels reacquired him in December 2013 and he opened the 2014 season in their starting rotation.
Eighteen starts in, he was carrying a sub-par 4.30 earned-run average but a superb walk rate. Then, on July 31, 2014, he tore his ulnar collateral ligament halfway through a no-hitter in Baltimore. A deliberate rehabilitation program from Tommy John surgery stretched into spring training, and subsequent setbacks led him here.
“Tyler was just starting to make some footprints in the major leagues when he got injured,” Scioscia said. “Hopefully he’s going to pick it up right from there and use that experience to continue to move forward and grow as a pitcher.”
Short hops
Trout wore white cleats in honor of Ken Griffey Jr. on Sunday. Nike sent them to him ahead of time, as they have done on several special occasions this season. Several Astros wore them too. … The Astros called up Alex Bregman, arguably the top prospect in the sport, immediately after Sunday’s game. The 2015 draftee was expected to join the team at the start of the teams’ weekend series, but the Angels missed him. … Philadelphia is expected to call up infielder Taylor Featherston on Monday. The Angels kept him on their roster throughout 2015 despite disastrous offensive results because he was a Rule 5 selection. They then traded him to the Phillies in February when in need of a 40-man roster spot.