Scioscia wants Oliver ready on short notice

Though Darren Oliver spent nine of his 13 big league seasons as a starter, Manager Mike Scioscia said the veteran left-hander, who signed a one-year, $1.75-million deal with the Angels this winter, will be used more as a short reliever and left-handed specialist than a long man.

“He can give you length, but I think Darren is too valuable as a situational guy to use” as a long reliever or spot starter, Scioscia said. “To neutralize some lefties in key situations, you want to have him available. You don’t want to burn him for four innings one night when you might need him the next two nights.”

Oliver, 36, went 4-1 with a 3.44 earned-run average in 45 games for the New York Mets last season.

If Oliver is limited to a short role, that means veteran right-hander Hector Carrasco, who went 7-3 with a 3.41 ERA in 56 games last season, three of them starts, will remain in more of a long-relief role.

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Joe Saunders entered the previous two camps with virtually no chance to win a rotation spot, but with Bartolo Colon out until at least late April and probably May because of a rotator-cuff tear, the left-hander appears to be a lock to make the team.

“This is the first year I’ve had a spot, but I don’t want to put any bad thoughts in their minds,” Saunders said.

Saunders went 7-3 with a 4.71 ERA in 13 starts last season, but in his last nine starts, he went 0-3 with a 27.00 ERA, nine strikeouts and 12 walks on regular (four days) rest and 3-0 with a 1.30 ERA, 24 strikeouts and seven walks on five days’ rest.

“His mind should be clearer knowing he can have a bigger focus and can address his personal needs to get through the season,” new pitching coach Mike Butcher said. “He was a little tired at the end of last year, and now he has to be stronger.”

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Closer Francisco Rodriguez, who felt a slight pull in his right hamstring in his first fielding drill of camp on Thursday, expects to throw off a mound early next week.

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mike.digiovanna@latimes.com