Angels get their starters an extra day of rest by calling up Alex Meyer

Intent on providing their starting rotation an extra day during a stretch of 20 games in 20 days, the Angels will recall right-hander Alex Meyer from triple-A Salt Lake to start Friday against Toronto. The other five starting pitchers will start on six days of rest during this turn.

“It’s something we talked about a while ago,” manager Mike Scioscia said. “Just, in this stretch, trying to give our guys a little bit of a blow early in the year. And Alex has picked it up.”

Meyer entered spring training in competition for a starting spot but struggled through it, walking more than he struck out. He then delivered three consecutive five-inning outings with Salt Lake, striking out 18 and walking five.

After Friday’s start, Scioscia said he would re-evaluate the 27-year-old’s candidacy to remain in the rotation.

The Angels will play another 16 consecutive games after this 20-day stretch, which could force them to take a similar action again.

Perez down, Graterol up

Catcher Carlos Perez took the 3:30 bus to Minute Maid Park from the team’s downtown hotel on Wednesday. When he arrived, Scioscia told him he had been demoted to Salt Lake.

The Angels recalled catcher Juan Graterol to take his place. Graterol played for the team last season; they re-acquired him from Toronto on Tuesday.

Perez, 26, opened last season as the Angels’ No. 1 catcher, but the team traded for Martin Maldonado in December, so he started only four of the Angels’ first 15 games. He was hitless in those games; his lone hit was the game-winning bunt he laid down last week after entering in the 10th inning.

“I’m surprised,” Perez said. “But that’s the way it is. They told me that I’ve gotta play, and that’s why they had to send me down. There’s nothing you can do about it, just keep your head up and work hard.”

Said Scioscia: “Carlos understands where he needs to get to.”

Short hops

The Angels did not take batting practice again Wednesday, after nixing it Tuesday and scoring five runs. “Just trying to break the routine a little bit,” Scioscia said. “Sometimes, you just gotta go American Legion. Just come out here and play.” ...Right-hander Matt Shoemaker joined the advisory board of the Taylor Hooton Foundation, a group against performance-enhancing drug use among American children. He said it had been in the works for a while. ...Asked about the status of right-hander Garrett Richards, who remains on the disabled list with a biceps strain, General Manager Billy Eppler said the Angels “continue to see progress regularly,” but offered no specifics beyond that.

pedro.moura@latimes.com

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