Angels put Calhoun on DL; Hermosillo called up

ANAHEIM -- Kole Calhoun's rough season took another turn for the worse on Saturday, as the Angels' starting right fielder landed on the 10-day disabled list with a right oblique strain, retroactive to Friday.
Manager Mike Scioscia said Calhoun suffered the injury while working in the batting cage during the club's series in Detroit earlier this week, prompting the Angels to keep him out of the lineup for Friday's 6-0 win over the Rangers. There is currently no timetable for Calhoun's return, though Scioscia said "he definitely needs the 10 days."
"He had a little tightness on his right side as we were getting out of Detroit," Scioscia said. "Just going to shut things down for a while until he can get over this bout."
Calhoun, 30, was batting just .145 with a .374 OPS in 50 games this season, but he has saved the Angels on multiple occasions with his Gold Glove-caliber defense in right field. His seven outfield assists are tied for the most in the Majors this year.
Asked if Calhoun could potentially benefit from some time off, Scioscia said, "Maybe, but that's not the way you want to get your break."
Michael Hermosillo was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake to replace Calhoun on the roster, and he started in right field Saturday against the Rangers. Hermosillo went 2-for-6 over four games in his first stint with the Angels last month and is batting .265 with an .865 OPS and seven home runs in 40 games with Salt Lake this year.

With infielder Zack Cozart still nursing a strained left forearm, the Angels also called up utility man Kaleb Cowart and optioned right-hander Jaime Barría. Cozart was out of the lineup for the third consecutive game Saturday, though Scioscia said he is improving and remains day to day.
"No doubt we need some coverage in the infield," Scioscia said. "Zack making a lot of progress, but we were short last night. Kaleb has played six positions down there. His versatility is important."
Barria was sent down for the fourth time this season despite firing six shutout innings against the Rangers on Friday. Barria has logged a 2.48 ERA over 36 1/3 innings, but with an off-day on Thursday, the Angels won't need a sixth starter until June 12 in Seattle at the earliest. The 21-year-old rookie will be eligible to return from the Minors at that point.

"It's tough, but there's a couple things to keep in mind," Scioscia said. "This is a very young pitcher. I think his confidence is very high. No doubt about making sure he's strong for the whole season. And if you look at our schedule, we would be pushing some guys back so far, it would become disruptive. We'd all be best served to have Jaime go down and get his work in, then come back, and we have a day targeted."
Shoemaker update
After two months of uncertainty, Matt Shoemaker finally received some clarity on the status of his injured right forearm. Shoemaker underwent exploratory surgery with Dr. Steve Shin in Los Angeles on Tuesday, which led to the discovery of a torn pronator teres tendon. The damaged tendon had not shown up on any of the tests the Angels had put Shoemaker through, but Shin was able to repair it during the surgery.
"He saw that my pronator teres tendon was split right down the middle," Shoemaker said. "After all that, the exploratory procedure found that. He said that's not normal. He's never seen that before. And it was right where my symptoms of pain are."
The Angels had been trying to identify the source of Shoemaker's forearm discomfort since he landed on the disabled list on April 3, even sending him to a specialist in St. Louis, who ruled out a nerve issue.
"I'm really thankful we went in and did the exploratory procedure, because we would have never found this if we hadn't," Shoemaker said. "That's nice to have that answer. That's very encouraging, especially with the last two months of being unknown."
Shoemaker said he expects to begin a throwing progression in six weeks, which should give him enough time to return in 2018.
Angels honor Pujols
Before Saturday's game between the Angels and Rangers, Scioscia was asked what he would give a guy who has collected 3,000 hits and 600 home runs in his career. The question was a reference to Albert Pujols, who the Angels recognized for reaching 3,000 hits during a pregame ceremony at Angel Stadium.
"I'm not privy to that," Scioscia said. "But knowing Albert, I think a handshake and congratulations is enough."
The Angels, of course, had a much larger gift in mind for Pujols, one that was unveiled three hours later by owner Arte Moreno. Moreno presented Pujols with a portrait made of approximately 9,858 screws, the number of at-bats the 38-year-old slugger needed to reach 3,000 hits.
Pujols collected the milestone hit off Mariners right-hander Mike Leake on May 4 in Seattle, becoming the 32nd member of the illustrious club. He is only the fourth player to record 3,000 hits and 600 home runs, joining Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Alex Rodriguez.
Hall of Famer Rod Carew, the only other player to reach 3,000 hits as an Angel, was on hand for the ceremony, along with Pujols' wife, Deidre, and their five kids: Isabella, Sophia, Esther, A.J. and Ezra.

The pregame celebration ended with Pujols throwing out the ceremonial first pitch to Rangers third baseman Adrián Beltré. Pujols and Beltre are the only Dominican-born members of the 3,000-hit club.
"It means a lot because he's one of the top players we have in our country," Beltre said Friday. "We're all proud of what he's done, the way he's carried our flag. Not only is he a good player, but he's a good human being."