Tommy Hanson returns to Angels, but future with team remains cloudy

OAKLAND — Tommy Hanson returned to the Angels Monday after a humbling one-month stint at triple-A Salt Lake, where the right-hander “simplified” his delivery but hardly solidified his future with the team.

“The one game he came back from the disabled list, his stuff was eye-opening, and he hasn’t repeated it,” Manager Mike Scioscia said, referring to Hanson’s 5 1/3-inning, one-run, four-hit, eight-strikeout effort against Minnesota on July 23, when his fastball hit 94 mph.

“So to say he’s fixed everything? No. If he did, you’d see a Tommy Hanson much more in line with the way he threw that game. There are some things he’s gotten more consistent with, but his last couple starts with us and his triple-A starts were not where he was that one outing, so there’s still room for improvement.”

Hanson, who was 4-3 with a 5.59 earned-run average in 13 starts with the Angels when he was demoted Aug. 12, was 0-2 with a 5.49 ERA in four regular-season starts at Salt Lake.

The right-hander pitched one of his better games in the Pacific Coast League playoffs on Wednesday, giving up one earned run and four hits in 6 1/3 innings of a loss to Omaha.

Hanson, who is being paid $3.725 million this season, is eligible for arbitration this off-season, but the Angels are not expected to tender him a contract, a move that would make Hanson a free agent.

“I’m not worried about that now, all I can control is what I do today,” Hanson said. “That’s where my head is at. Obviously, this hasn’t been the funnest season, but I want to finish strong and try to get better.”

Scioscia said he will try to get Hanson a start in the last two weeks of the season “but we have five guys in the rotation who are pitching well and want to finish on a good note,” he said.

“We have reports on him, we saw video on the games he pitched in triple A. I don’t know if there’s anything more he can prove with another start in the major leagues. There are some things he’s definitely figured out, and hopefully he’ll move forward with it.”

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