Michael Ryan makes bid for Angels roster spot

Reporting from Tempe, Ariz. — 

You see the No. 83 on his jersey and the way he hurls his body around the outfield to make plays, and your first impression is that Michael Ryan is some kid trying to impress the coaching staff in his first big league camp.

So it’s something of a surprise when you look at his biography in the Angels media guide and see that Ryan is 32 and has played 14 years of professional baseball — 1,388 games in the minor leagues and 127 in the big leagues.

“I’m definitely not a kid,” Ryan said. “I used to be.”

Ryan, signed to a minor league contract in late December, has been one of the most impressive players in camp this spring. He’s batting .545 (six for 11) and has driven in six runs in five games, making a strong early bid for a reserve outfield spot.

“He’s kind of a sleeper,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “He’s certainly fighting for a spot on our club. He does a lot of things. He puts the ball in play. He plays good defense. He also plays first and third, so he has some versatility that’s going to be important for anyone in that role.”

A fifth-round pick of the Minnesota Twins in 1996, Ryan played one minor league season and parts of four major league seasons with Angels center fielder and former Twins star Torii Hunter.

“He can flat-out hit, but he never had a chance to play every day and show what he could do,” Hunter said of Ryan. “But he’s the kind of guy who can sit on the bench for seven days and come up and get a clutch hit off a guy like Bobby Jenks.”

Ryan practically came to camp in mid-season form after playing about 80 games in Venezuela’s winter league.

“Obviously, it’s helped,” said Ryan, a Pittsburgh native. “I don’t think there’s any better way to get ready for a season than to play.”

Ryan, who has never played more than 57 games in a big league season, has a good handle on why he has been unable to establish himself as a major leaguer.

“It’s consistency,” Ryan said. “They always tell you how it’s easier to get to the big leagues, but it’s so hard to stay. I’m a perfect example of that.”

If he continues to excel this spring, Ryan will be a strong candidate for the Angels’ final roster spot.

He came up with a clutch hit Friday, a two-run home run during a three-run ninth inning that gave the Angels a 7-7 split-squad tie against Cleveland in Goodyear, Ariz.

“He’s making the most of every opportunity he’s getting,” Scioscia said. “I knew he was a good player, but it’s been a pleasant surprise how much he’s brought this spring.”

mike.digiovanna@latimes.com