Sele’s Work to Be Limited

As Aaron Sele navigates the painfully lengthy road between his return from shoulder surgery and return to top form, the Angels told him Wednesday his upcoming starts would be limited to five innings.

Even if he is throwing a no-hitter, he will be removed after five innings.

“We want him to go harder for a shorter amount of time and get better results,” Manager Mike Scioscia said.

In each of his last two starts, Sele pitched five decent innings but failed to get an out in the sixth. He has failed to complete six innings in seven of nine starts this season, with a 7.01 earned-run average.

While Scioscia would not rule out eventually replacing Sele with reliever Scot Shields, such a move is unlikely because of a contract that guarantees Sele $8 million this year and $8.5 million next year. The Angels would not consider releasing him until next year.

Pitching coach Bud Black said he saw no point to moving Sele to the bullpen, saying that his stuff is “comparable to where it’s been the last five years.”

As he recovers from surgery in October, command and stamina have been slower to follow, but the Angels need him to accumulate innings now to optimize their chance of a solid return next year on their investment.

“We’ve got to see him through,” Black said.

When Scioscia and Black summoned him to a closed-door meeting Wednesday, Sele said, he was “not at all” concerned about losing his spot in the rotation.

Sele noted that Gil Meche, who starts tonight for the Seattle Mariners, required a full season to regain his form after shoulder surgery.

Meche did not burden Seattle last year -- he pitched at double A -- but he has a 2.89 ERA this year.

“Look at how he’s throwing the ball now,” Sele said. “There’s a lag time.”

*

Chuck Finley has not retired, but he has not found a contending team willing to use him as a starter and pay him like one, reportedly from $2 million to $3 million for the balance of the season.

The free agent would like to pitch in Southern California, but he rejected the Angels’ offer to return to Anaheim as a reliever, and the Dodgers would rather give Andy Ashby and Wilson Alvarez the chance to replace the injured Darren Dreifort.

Finley has held contract talks with the Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros and St. Louis Cardinals.