Angels’ Matt Shoemaker takes baby steps in recovery from injury

Matt Shoemaker said he was feeling better Wednesday than he did Tuesday, “which is good,” the Angels’ right-handed pitcher said. But it’s far too early to gauge how Shoemaker is recovering from a mild left oblique strain, a rib-cage injury he sustained Monday night against Seattle.

“They said I could feel good in two or three days, I could feel good in a week -- everyone’s body is different,” said Shoemaker, who will miss his next start Saturday night but is hopeful he will return in time for the playoffs.

“The positive part is it feels better every day. It’s not getting worse. They said it’s going to linger for a few days, and hopefully after a few days it will be gone.”

Some moderate oblique strains can sideline pitchers for four to six weeks. Recovery times vary depending on the severity of the strain and how quickly a player heals.

A healthy Shoemaker, who is 16-4 with a 3.04 earned-run average, probably would be the team’s No. 2 starter behind Jered Weaver in the playoffs. The Angels can clinch the American League West title with a win over the Mariners and an Oakland loss to Texas on Wednesday night.

“It’s always encouraging when he comes in and feels a little better as opposed to it going in the other direction, but there are a lot of hurdles Matt will have to clear before he goes out and pitches again,” Manager Mike Scioscia said.

“We’re not going to have that answer in 24 or 48 hours. It’s going to take some time. It’s still open-ended. We’re keeping our fingers crossed, but we’re not going to have that answer for some time yet.”

The team’s medical staff has stressed to Shoemaker the importance of being fully healed before he tries to throw at full strength off a mound. If a pitcher tries to come back too soon from an oblique strain, he can aggravate the injury and be sidelined for several weeks.

“That’s one thing we’re really addressing,” Shoemaker said. “As much as I want to come back and pitch, we’re being smart about it. We’re not going to rush it to where I aggravate it. Then it will be worse.”

Scioscia said he would announce Saturday night’s starter after Wednesday night’s game. With left-hander Michael Roth throwing three innings of relief Tuesday night, left-hander Wade LeBlanc is the leading candidate to replace Shoemaker.

LeBlanc, who spent most of the season as a triple-A starter, has not given up a run in five innings of his last four relief appearances, but he hasn’t thrown more than 36 pitches in any of his five games since Sept. 2.

Scioscia said he doubted LeBlanc or Roth could throw 80-90 pitches, but LeBlanc is confident he could throw between 60-70 pitches, and possibly more.

“It kind of depends on how stressful the innings are, but I’ll throw as many pitches as they need me to throw,” LeBlanc said. “It’s September, we’re pushing for the playoffs. My tank is as full as it needs to be.”