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Moseley's role is key to setup of Angels pitchers

SPRING REPORT / ANGELS 11, BREWERS 4

The right-hander has been a valuable reliever but could end up in the rotation because of injury to Lackey.

By Mike Digiovanna
March 19, 2008

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Dustin Moseley is a valuable asset, a right-hander who can pitch out of the rotation or the bullpen and will gladly accept either role. One challenge for the Angels over the next week and a half is to determine how he can best help the team.

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If Moseley, who gave up two runs and six hits in four innings of Tuesday's 11-4 exhibition win over Milwaukee, opens the season as a fill-in for injured starter John Lackey, the bullpen, already without the injured Chris Bootcheck, would not have a proven long reliever.

If Moseley opens in the bullpen, the Angels would be throwing Nick Adenhart, a 21-year-old who hasn't pitched above double A, into the rotation. But their relief corps would be stronger.

"Both are huge roles," pitching coach Mike Butcher said. "I don't think either one is less meaningful than the other."

Moseley seemed perplexed when asked if the Angels would be better off with him in the rotation or bullpen.

"That's a tough one, man," Moseley said. "With Adenhart throwing the ball like he has . . . that's going to be their decision. From a team perspective, this early in the year, with Bootcheck down and me in the rotation, not really having a long man . . . we'll see. I'm just doing what they ask of me."

No matter what Moseley's role, the Angels will be better if he throws as he did in his last two innings Tuesday, when he retired five of six batters.

Moseley, who underwent surgery to relocate the ulnar nerve in his elbow in October, admitted he'd been guarded in his pitching this spring, unable to "let everything go."

But after giving up two runs and five hits in two innings, he took the reins off his arm and gained about three mph on his fastball.

"The last two innings I really started letting it go a little bit," Moseley said. "The breaking ball was a lot sharper, and I started getting on some fastballs. It was a breakthrough.

"It was just something mental. . . . It's almost like, if you really let it go, are you going to feel something like I did last year? I had to get over that, and today, I felt like I did."

Home run derby

The Angels flexed some muscle against the Brewers, with Vladimir Guerrero (two-run), Torii Hunter (solo) and Casey Kotchman (three-run) hitting home runs.

But of some concern is the defensive play of second baseman Howie Kendrick, who made two fielding errors and now has five errors in 16 games this spring.

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