Angels’ Dane De La Rosa suffers new setback in return from injury

Reliever Dane De La Rosa, on a rehabilitation assignment at triple-A Salt Lake, has had yet another setback in his return from shoulder and forearm injuries and has returned to Southern California to be reevaluated, Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said Wednesday.

The right-hander, who was the team’s top setup man last season, has thrown 4 2/3 innings in four games for Salt Lake, allowing two earned runs, striking out three and walking three, but he hasn’t pitched since last Friday.

“He’s not quite where he needs to be,” said Scioscia, who added that he wanted to wait until he heard from the medical staff before discussing the nature or severity of the setback. “Maybe it’s a matter of catching his breath. Hopefully, he’ll pick it up again. We’ll see what the next step is.”

De La Rosa suffered the forearm strain in early March and missed most of spring training. He worked his way back to appear in one game against the New York Mets on April 12, but he gave up two runs and his fastball velocity wasn’t close to the 95 mph he hit regularly late last season. He was put back on the disabled list.

De La Rosa, who went 6-1 with a 2.86 earned run average in a team-high 75 appearances last season, was diagnosed with joint irritation in his shoulder.