Angels’ Mike Scioscia takes time to assess Matt Shoemaker

On the infrequent occasion of a split-squad game in spring training, when half of a team’s players stay home for a game and another group goes on the road, major league stars and managers do not traditionally leave home.

There will be travel aplenty over the next six months. Spring’s the season for gearing up for the grind of the big league season, not enduring it.

But rather than stay home with Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and Garrett Richards on Friday, Angels Manager Mike Scioscia opted for an hourlong bus ride to Surprise to watch right-hander Matt Shoemaker start against Kansas City.

It made sense: Richards, the starter at home Friday against Colorado, will almost assuredly throw the first pitch of the Angels’ 2016 season. Shoemaker’s status is more opaque. The 29-year-old right-hander entered the spring without a clear path to a starting-rotation spot.

But because left-handers Tyler Skaggs and C.J. Wilson will begin the season on the disabled list and right-hander Jered Weaver could join them, the Angels are forced to consider the viability of counting on Shoemaker.

The problem is he has not pitched well. Friday marked his fourth start of the spring and the fourth that elicited questions about his readiness. For the first time, Shoemaker did not allow a home run, but he yielded seven hits and four runs to a split-squad Royals lineup.

He did not walk a batter and struck out five, a positive sign. His last time out, against Texas, Shoemaker walked and struck out four apiece in four innings. The start before that, he permitted three home runs and 10 hits to Cincinnati in three innings.

General Manager Billy Eppler attended that start, also a road split-squad. He characterized it as unlucky, with a heavy wind blowing out in Goodyear. Asked the next day how he thought it went, Shoemaker said terribly, “but not as bad as ‘terrible’ usually means.”

Asked what that meant, he said there were good things to take away.

“I’m trying to make a light situation out of a bad one,” he said.

In 14 spring innings, Shoemaker has a 8.36 earned-run average. But that may not matter if Weaver is forced to the disabled list because of neck and spine issues, as the Angels would then have only five starters.

One caveat: Because of early-season off days, the Angels need not deploy a fifth starter until April 19.

Meanwhile, Richards was comfortable with his start Friday.

Every start this spring has served as an opportunity for Richards to focus on parts of his delivery and approach. He used to need a broader focus in these games, but no more. And his burgeoning changeup and the two-seam fastball he went away from last season have benefited from the added attention.

After a three-run, five-inning outing Friday, Richards said he was fine with the “flares and little dribblers” that hurt him. He was happy to only have to fine-tune.

When he was in college, he would often feel like if his delivery was entirely different from start to start.

“I didn’t know what the hell I was doing, man,” Richards said. “In college, it’s all about winning ballgames. The coaches aren’t too concerned with fine-tuning somebody if you’re getting results. It’s been a long journey to get to this point.”

Short hops

Skaggs, who has been recovering from Tommy John surgery, will throw a two-inning simulated game Saturday morning against Angels hitters. If that goes as planned, Skaggs will then pitch in a game Thursday, for the first time since July 31, 2014. …The Angels have not yet informed their players who will be traveling to Salt Lake City on Tuesday for their final split-squad of the spring against their triple-A affiliate.

pedro.moura@latimes.com

Twitter: @pedromoura