After a promising return to Angels’ rotation, Tyler Skaggs takes two steps back

Last month, Tyler Skaggs threw seven scoreless innings in his first major league start after two years spent recovering from Tommy John surgery. He then fired 5 1/3 scoreless innings in his second start.

But, in his most recent two on the Angels’ current nine-game road trip, he has yielded 11 runs in 10 1/3 innings. The results serve as a reminder that his ascent into the top-of-the-rotation starter he has long been expected to become cannot resume unimpeded.

“It is hard to beat two starts scoreless,” Skaggs said after Friday’s start in the Angels’ defeat. “You can only go down from there. It’s part of pitching — you can’t go out there and be great every time. You strive to be, but it is what it is.”

Skaggs’ first season as an Angel, in 2014, was replete with similar streaks of overwhelming success and underwhelming failure.

Before Friday’s game, Angels Manager Mike Scioscia expressed repeated hope that the 25-year-old left-hander will overcome the standard course of complications on the way back from elbow surgery.

“Tyler Skaggs is hopefully going to be one of the success stories,” Scioscia said. “He’s hopefully picked it back up. Hopefully, this will be a bump in the road 10 years from now, when he’s hopefully still pitching. Tyler’s stuff is there. He’s competing well. And his confidence has grown.”

Short hops

First baseman C.J. Cron began a minor league rehab assignment for triple-A Salt Lake on Friday and will require at least five days there before returning to the Angels, and probably more. Cron broke his hand one month ago. …Tim Lincecum reported to triple-A and will start there Monday. …The Angels claimed left-hander Cody Ege off waivers from Miami. The 25-year-old Iowan will report to Salt Lake. He made his major league debut in a short stint this season. In 45 triple-A innings, he has logged a 4.50 earned-run average, but he has held left-handed hitters to a .186 average. …Right-hander Alex Meyer threw one inning Friday night for the Arizona League Angels, his first time facing hitters since he was acquired on Aug. 1. He struck out the side.

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