Angels’ C.J. Wilson likely to have elbow surgery

Angels left-hander C.J. Wilson stood in the clubhouse Saturday, held up his left arm and offered a demonstration. He bent his arm, and it didn’t bend much. Then he straightened his arm, and it didn’t straighten much.

“That’s my elbow,” he said. “This is bent. That’s straight. That’s all I got. So there’s nothing much I can really do. I don’t have a good knuckleball.”

Wilson had reached the point, he said, where he could no longer pitch this season. After an MRI exam Friday showed more bone spurs in his elbow, Wilson said he’ll likely have surgery and sit out the rest of the season.

The team said the diagnosis was “left elbow impingement secondary to arthritis.” Before making a final decision, Wilson said he’ll seek other medical opinions. Wilson informed Manager Mike Scioscia and General Manager Bill Stoneman of his status before the trade deadline.

“If that’s the direction that he goes, then obviously there’s a need for it, a need for C.J. to contemplate whatever his options are,” Scioscia said. “It was becoming difficult for him to pitch with it. That was obvious in his last start.”

With Wilson out, the team should need a replacement starter only once, on Sunday. Right-hander Jered Weaver is expected to return soon from a hip injury.

Scioscia said right-hander Cory Rasmus will be the spot starter. Rasmus, a reliever, started six times for the Angels last season because of a depleted rotation. His longest start was four innings and 59 pitches.

“I think our rotation is still going to be intact,” Scioscia said. “I think it will still be as strong as it was in the first half.”

The Angels have young pitchers in Garrett Richards, Matt Shoemaker, Hector Santiago and Nick Tropeano. Tyler Skaggs will return from elbow ligament-replacement surgery next year, and Weaver will be back.

Wilson, who has one year and $20 million left on his contract, had surgery for bone spurs in 2008 and 2012. In 2013, he was 17-7 with a 3.39 earned-run average.

An MRI exam before this season revealed bone spurs. He pitched with the injury, he said, and had the elbow drained of fluid four times. Over time, he said, his range of motion grew smaller.

“I’m in a situation where I can’t even play catch,” Wilson said. “As it gets worse, the risk of blowing my shoulder out and being completely done with baseball increases. And I’m not willing to take that risk.”

As to whether he considered pushing through the injury, Wilson stressed that he had already pushed through 132 innings. He said he dealt with the pain without painkillers. But he felt he could no longer make the pitches he needed.

“You just run out of gas and the tank’s empty,” Wilson said. “In this case, there’s no more elbow left to expire.”

Scioscia is ejected

On a 3-and-2 pitch in the second inning by left-hander Andrew Heaney, umpire Chris Segal called a ball.

Scioscia complained from the dugout and was tossed. He then went on the field to argue with Segal.

“Where’s the pitch?” he could be seen saying. “Where’s the pitch?”

Later, Scioscia was more critical of the reaction than the call.

“Umpires are human,” Scioscia said. “They’re going to miss pitches. But I think they gain respect when they say, ‘Hey, I missed it.’ ”