Angels’ Albert Pujols won’t play much first base in newer ballparks

The more modern a ballpark is, the less likely Albert Pujols will play first base. Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said Friday that Pujols picks his spots to play first base based in large part on the batting-cage situation.

Generally, the sport’s newer ballparks have more spacious accommodations. If a stadium has a cage within its depths that he can access, Pujols can maintain his rhythm enough that he does not need to play first base and stay active.

“It’s purely how he feels,” Scioscia said. “There are some parks where he feels much more comfortable.”

At Minnesota’s Target Field, there’s a cage steps away from the Angels’ dugout, so Pujols served as the designated hitter Friday. His offensive statistics have changed little depending on his positional status during his Angels career.

Pujols, 36, played first base twice at the old Oakland Coliseum after serving as the designated hitter throughout the season-opening six-game homestand. The Angels next play at Chicago’s U.S. Cellular Field, where there is a designated cage for the visiting team, so it’s likely he’ll spend most of the rest of this trip exclusively hitting.

Radinsky to remain away

Scioscia that the Angels’ bullpen coach, Scott Radinsky, is feeling more comfortable home in Southern California after experiencing chest pains following Wednesday’s win in Oakland.

Radinsky will remain away from the Angels for at least the next week, with triple-A pitching coach Erik Bennett taking his place and traveling with the team.

Short hops

Left-hander Tyler Skaggs threw for a second time with triple-A Salt Lake on Friday. He was scheduled to pitch four innings, but he went only three, striking out five, walking none, and giving up two hits. His fastball hit 92 mph. He threw 41 pitches. …Left-handed starters Andrew Heaney and C.J. Wilson are each playing catch in attempt to work their way back from injury, Heaney here with the team and Wilson at the spring-training facility in Arizona. Wilson is further away, needing to increase his throwing distance threefold before he even returns to a mound. …Scioscia considered switching C.J. Cron and Kole Calhoun in his lineup against left-handers, with the sixth-hitting Calhoun far outperforming the fifth-hitting Cron so far, but decided against it for now. “It’s a little early for any major overhauls,” the manager said. “We’ll give C.J. an opportunity to hit there and see how he does.”

Follow Pedro Moura on Twitter: @pedromoura