Bullpen Depth Rising on Wish List

General Manager Bill Stoneman said his objectives as the July 31 trade deadline approaches “haven’t changed.” Acquiring an impact bat, of the Alfonso Soriano or Miguel Tejada variety, is still the Angels’ top priority.

But don’t be surprised if, while he’s shopping for a hitter, Stoneman takes a long look at the middle relief pitchers at the checkout stand.

Closer Francisco Rodriguez and setup man Scot Shields have been nearly flawless, save for an occasional blip, giving the Angels one of baseball’s best late-game relief tandems.

But the bullpen depth that was a hallmark of Angels playoff teams since 2002 has thinned out this season, and Stoneman, despite the confidence Manager Mike Scioscia and pitching coach Bud Black have in the relief corps, might look to upgrade in that area.

“Some guys have had a little bit of a tough run lately,” Scioscia said, “but I think if you look at the makeup of the bullpen, I think we have the components to reach our goal and go far.”

The problem is, several relievers haven’t performed to expectations, a fact that has been obscured by a rotation that leads the major leagues with 58 quality starts, limiting the need for middle-relief innings.

Hector Carrasco, No. 3 in the bullpen pecking order, has been OK, with a 2-2 record and 3.92 earned-run average, but right-hander Brendan Donnelly has been inconsistent, left-hander J.C. Romero has been unreliable, and right-hander Kevin Gregg has struggled in long relief.

The once-dominant Donnelly, who has been coping with an upper-back injury, has given up 11 earned runs in four innings of his last five appearances, including four runs in the seventh inning Friday night, and has a 5.20 ERA in 36 games.

Romero has been the biggest disappointment, going 1-2 with a 7.11 ERA in 39 games. Though he has limited left-handers to a .194 average, right-handers are batting .403 against Romero.

The Angels are in fine shape when the starter goes six or seven innings and hands a lead to Shields and Rodriguez, but a game like Thursday’s, when Ervin Santana couldn’t make it out of the fifth, exposed the lack of bullpen depth.

The score was tied, 4-4, in the fifth, but Gregg, Romero and Carrasco couldn’t contain the Royals in a 9-4 loss.

“I think inconsistent appearances can lead to inconsistent performance,” Black said. “But we still feel good about our bullpen. I like their experience. These guys have been down the path of August and September baseball, and they’ll pitch to the situation.”

*

First-round draft pick Hank Conger, the former Huntington Beach High catcher who signed for $1.35 million in June, broke a bone in his right hand swinging a bat this past week and will undergo surgery. Conger, who hit .309 with one home run and 10 runs batted in in 19 games, is expected to be ready for instructional league in September.

*

Jered Weaver, scratched from his last start because of biceps tendinitis, threw a full-effort, 10-minute bullpen session Friday and will start Sunday.