Tyler Skaggs might be in line for a start with Angels

The numbers indicate that Tyler Skaggs, who hasn’t pitched in the big leagues in nearly two years, is ready to replace the injured Nick Tropeano in the rotation.

Skaggs, who sat out 2015 because of elbow surgery and the first half of 2016 because of a shoulder injury, gave up one hit in 5 2/3 scoreless innings for triple-A Salt Lake on Wednesday, striking out 12 batters and walking three against Iowa.

Skaggs struggled with his command early, but his fastball was clocked between 88 and 92 mph, and he gained a better feel for his curve in the third inning. Of his 94 pitches, 62 were strikes.

In his previous start, at Omaha on Thursday, the left-hander gave up one hit, struck out 14 batters and did not walk a batter in seven scoreless innings.

But Angels Manager Mike Scioscia would not commit to Skaggs starting Tuesday in Kansas City, the first day the Angels would need a fifth starter. Right-hander Jhoulys Chacin, who threw four scoreless innings in relief Monday, is the other candidate to start.

“Tyler is in a position right now of trying to earn his way into a major league rotation with performance,” Scioscia said. “His last three or four starts in triple A, we’ve seen some strides toward that. Whenever he’s ready, we’ll look to give him a shot to help us in the rotation, but not until then.”

What does “ready” mean to Scioscia?

“I think it’s performance based,” Scioscia said. “It might not be the things you guys look at in terms of line score. It’s an evaluation of everything from his command to how the ball is coming out of his hand to how strong he finishes. There are markers you look at to evaluate pitchers, and Tyler’s have been good.”

Close call

Todd Cunningham, who has entered as a late-game defensive replacement in left field nine times this month, came within inches of a gaffe that could have been very costly for the Angels on Tuesday night.

After Rougned Odor opened the ninth inning with a single against closer Huston Street, Adrian Beltre ripped a ball to deep left field.

Cunningham raced to the warning track, stumbled and fell to his knees while making a snow-cone catch of the ball, which sat perched atop the webbing of his mitt before Cunningham clutched it for the out. Street retired the next two batters to preserve an 8-6 win.

“Off the bat, I thought it was going to be close to gone, so I was trying to get back to the wall,” Cunningham said Wednesday. “It was a top-spin, tumbling line drive, and I slipped a little bit. The ball handcuffed me, hit me in the palm and almost popped out.”

After the play, Cunningham looked at center fielder Mike Trout, “and he was just staring at me like, ‘Don’t move, it’s going to come out of your glove!’ ” Cunningham said. “You can’t help but laugh.”

Down and out

Texas slugger Prince Fielder’s season went from bad (.213, eight homers, 44 runs batted in) to worse Wednesday when he was diagnosed with a herniated disk in his neck, an injury that will likely require season-ending surgery.

Both Fielder and right fielder Shin-Soo Choo, who has inflammation in his lower back, were put on the disabled list, moves that will result in more playing time for super-utility player Jurickson Profar, who entered Wednesday with a .316 average.

Outfielder Delino DeShields and utility man Hanser Alberto were recalled from triple A to replace Fielder and Choo on the roster.

mike.digiovanna@latimes.com

Twitter: @MikeDiGiovanna