Howie Kendrick could have run in a pinch for Angels

ARLINGTON, Texas — Manager Mike Scioscia said Howie Kendrick’s calf muscle was “a little sore” Wednesday and “was part of the equation” in his decision to let slow-footed Kendrys Morales run in the ninth inning of a gut-wrenching 11-10 loss to the Rangers.

But Kendrick was in the lineup Thursday and said he could have pinch-run Wednesday if called upon.

“I got up later in the game and was loose, ready to run,” Kendrick said. “I was available. If I was injured, I wouldn’t be in there tonight.”

The Angels had a 7-6 lead and two on when Morales, the 245-pound designated hitter, was thrown out trying to score from second on Maicer Izturis’ two-out single to right field.

The speedy Peter Bourjos was on the bench, but he was replacing cleanup batter Mark Trumbo in the outfield in the bottom of the ninth.

Kendrick was available, but Scioscia said he stuck with Morales, the No. 5 hitter, because he didn’t want to “gut the middle of the lineup.” Kendrick, though, has hit fifth against left-handers for weeks.

Texas tied the game on Ian Kinsler’s ninth-inning homer, and after the Angels scored three in the 10th, the Rangers scored four for a dramatic victory.

“If push came to shove and we were down by a run,” Scioscia said, “we would have looked at some other things.”

Haren ready

Dan Haren threw a normal between-starts bullpen workout and is penciled in to start Sunday against the Chicago White Sox. The right-hander did not pitch Wednesday because of soreness in his right side.

Haren, who went on the disabled list because of lower-back stiffness July 5, pitched well in wins over Texas on July 22 and Tampa Bay last Friday, but he tweaked his side against the Rays.

“I’ve made a lot of progress,” Haren said. “I didn’t think me pitching in the near future was going to happen when I woke up the day after I last pitched.”

With an off day next Thursday, Scioscia said “there is a probability” struggling right-hander Ervin Santana will be skipped in the rotation and moved temporarily to a bullpen that has been heavily taxed this week.

To bolster that bullpen, the Angels recalled reliever David Carpenter from triple-A Salt Lake and sent starter Garrett Richards to Salt Lake.

Honor roll

Mike Trout won American League player-of-the-month and rookie-of-the-month honors for July, becoming the first AL player to win both awards in the same month.

Trout hit .392 (38 for 97) with 10 home runs, six doubles, two triples, 23 runs batted in, 32 runs and nine stolen bases in 25 games in July. He has won rookie-of-the-month awards in May, June and July.

Short hops

Scioscia said the Angels won’t get a sense for how long reliever Scott Downs will be out for another week or so. The left-hander was placed on the disabled list Tuesday because of a shoulder strain.… Jordan Walden, on the DL since July 15 because of nerve problem in his neck, has extended his long-toss program to 150 feet and could begin throwing off a mound next week.

mike.digiovanna@latimes.com