Moseley’s role is key to setup of pitchers

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Dustin Moseley is a valuable asset, a right-hander who can pitch out of the rotation or the bullpen and will gladly accept either role. One challenge for the Angels over the next week and a half is to determine how he can best help the team.

If Moseley, who gave up two runs and six hits in four innings of Tuesday’s 11-4 exhibition win over Milwaukee, opens the season as a fill-in for injured starter John Lackey, the bullpen, already without the injured Chris Bootcheck, would not have a proven long reliever.

If Moseley opens in the bullpen, the Angels would be throwing Nick Adenhart, a 21-year-old who hasn’t pitched above double A, into the rotation. But their relief corps would be stronger.

“Both are huge roles,” pitching coach Mike Butcher said. “I don’t think either one is less meaningful than the other.”

Moseley seemed perplexed when asked if the Angels would be better off with him in the rotation or bullpen.

“That’s a tough one, man,” Moseley said. “With Adenhart throwing the ball like he has . . . that’s going to be their decision. From a team perspective, this early in the year, with Bootcheck down and me in the rotation, not really having a long man . . . we’ll see. I’m just doing what they ask of me.”

No matter what Moseley’s role, the Angels will be better if he throws as he did in his last two innings Tuesday, when he retired five of six batters.

Moseley, who underwent surgery to relocate the ulnar nerve in his elbow in October, admitted he’d been guarded in his pitching this spring, unable to “let everything go.”

But after giving up two runs and five hits in two innings, he took the reins off his arm and gained about three mph on his fastball.

“The last two innings I really started letting it go a little bit,” Moseley said. “The breaking ball was a lot sharper, and I started getting on some fastballs. It was a breakthrough.

“It was just something mental. . . . It’s almost like, if you really let it go, are you going to feel something like I did last year? I had to get over that, and today, I felt like I did.”

Home run derby

The Angels flexed some muscle against the Brewers, with Vladimir Guerrero (two-run), Torii Hunter (solo) and Casey Kotchman (three-run) hitting home runs.

But of some concern is the defensive play of second baseman Howie Kendrick, who made two fielding errors and now has five errors in 16 games this spring.

“He’s had a couple glitches on some ground balls, but he’s going to be fine,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “Outside of a couple of miscues this spring, he’s been solid.”

Who’s on first

Juan Rivera made only his second exhibition appearance at first base, playing the final two innings there, but Scioscia has not abandoned a plan to use the outfielder in the infield in an effort to get Rivera’s bat in the lineup. Rivera has been slowed by a sore shoulder and hadn’t played the field since last week.

“He’s done a lot of drills at first and looks fine there,” Scioscia said. “He’s definitely a guy we plan on having on our depth chart at first base when we go into the season.”

Minor development

Left-hander Joe Saunders gave up two earned runs and six hits in five innings of a triple-A game against the Oakland Athletics, striking out five, walking three and throwing 73 pitches. . . . Garret Anderson, scratched from two recent games because of minor leg injuries, started at designated hitter and was hitless with a walk in two at-bats.

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mike.digiovanna@latimes.com