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Angels won’t set a specific innings limit for left-hander Tyler Skaggs

Angels starting pitcher Tyler Skaggs throws during spring baseball practice Wednesday.
Angels starting pitcher Tyler Skaggs throws during spring baseball practice Wednesday.
(Chris Carlson / Associated Press)
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Every year, many Angels staffers and players spend spring training at an expansive resort along a golf course near the team’s facilities at Tempe Diablo Stadium.

As his teammates traversed the 2016 regular season, Tyler Skaggs spent six extra weeks there last May and June, marooned at extended spring training because of biceps tendinitis. It was one of several complications in his recovery from elbow ligament replacement surgery.

“I’ll never stay there again,” Skaggs said Wednesday, ahead of the team’s first workout of spring training. “It just brings back bad memories.”

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Instead, the 25-year-old left-hander is renting a house in Scottsdale, Ariz., as he settles in, no longer needing to compete for a spot on the roster or in the starting rotation.

“I’m just happy to be in the big leagues,” he said. “Getting optioned down to triple A to start last season, I wasn’t happy about it. I can’t control it, but at the same time it really fueled me.”

Skaggs had surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in August 2014. He said he learned last year that his rehab prepared him for only part of the challenge ahead.

He finished with a 4.17 earned-run average in 49 2/3 innings with the Angels, spanning 10 starts.

“I got myself physically ready for the games, but not mentally ready,” Skaggs said. “I have to relax. You work for two years to get back here, but you let your mental game go by the wayside, because you’re so focused on your pitching mechanics and all your steps. I want to have fun with baseball again.”

Skaggs has never thrown more than 158 1/3 innings in a calendar year. Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said the team will not set a specific limit on Skaggs’ innings this season, but acknowledged he cannot throw, say, 210.

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“What that range will be is going to depend on him,” Scioscia said. “Tyler needs to keep acquiring that physicality to stay healthy. At some point, a young pitcher needs to jump off that ledge and hopefully climb for a higher ledge. Hopefully, if he’s healthy, he should be able to push forward and get up there closer to what you would expect a full workload to be.”

Revere ready to rebound

In each of the last six seasons, Ben Revere began spring training as a starting outfielder. He played for four teams, but always had a place in the lineup.

But barring an injury to one of the Angels’ starters, Revere, 28, will be a reserve this year, providing backing for Cameron Maybin, Mike Trout and Kole Calhoun.

His one-year contract and new role are the result of a 2016 season that began with an oblique tear on his first swing on opening day. He was on the disabled list before the season’s second game, and said he never felt right again until December.

Despite a doctor’s diagnosis of bleeding within the muscle, Revere sat out only 14 days. But he hit just .217 with a .260 on-base percentage and .300 slugging mark.

“Maybe I came back too soon,” Revere said. “The main thing is, I got another chance.”

He made $6.25 million with Washington last season. The Angels guaranteed him $4 million, with incentives that could boost the total by more than $2 million.

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On Wednesday, Angels bench coach Dino Ebel excitedly noted the potential to deploy Revere as a late-inning base-stealer.

Revere in his career has succeeded on more than 80% of his stolen-base attempts, 26th among active players who have attempted at least 80 steals. But that mark is only third-best in the Angels’ clubhouse this spring, after Trout and non-roster invitee Eric Young Jr.

Short hops

Right-hander Deolis Guerra cleared waivers and was assigned to triple-A Salt Lake, pending his approval. He was designated for assignment when the Angels acquired right-hander Austin Adams last week.

pedro.moura@latimes.com

Twitter: @pedromoura

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