I feel that my mechanics are better than they were before I got injured. I know my body a lot better now and I've actually changed a few things in my mechanics, so I feel pretty comfortable doing it right now. – Bees pitcher Tyler Skaggs
SALT LAKE CITY — Tyler Skaggs is familiar with Salt Lake City, just not as familiar with the Salt Lake Bees' uniform.
"I've never really come as the home team here," the Bees' left-handed starter said, donning the team's black cap and white jersey at the Bees' media day Tuesday afternoon. "I've always come here with Reno [Arizona's Triple-A affiliate]. I liked it a lot."
Now Salt Lake City is the first stop on his journey back to the majors, where he hopes to get back to where he needs to be and help the Los Angeles Angels in a potential playoff run later this season.
Skaggs, who the Angels drafted in 2009, then traded away to Arizona before Los Angeles reacquired him in December 2013, underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2014 and skipped the entire 2015 season recovering from the operation.
That in itself was a struggle, along with fluctuating emotions in the recovery process.
"There were days I felt good and days I didn't feel good, but at the same time it all worked out for the best. I really look forward to getting called back up and getting it back on," Skaggs said. "It's just one of those things where I need to stick with my rehab process and really make sure I'm ready to go. I know it's going to be cold over here, so I have to spend a little more extra time warming up."
Even with the time off in the recovery process, the 24-year-old has shown signs of returning to the former top prospect he was prior to the injury and one figuring out the big league ropes. He made a relief appearance in an Angels' exhibition game against the cross-town rival Dodgers and topped out at 94 mph on his fastball.
That appearance was a positive conclusion to a solid spring training that he said was satisfying.
"I felt like I was back to my old self," he said.
Bees pitching coach Erik Bennett said Skaggs is still working on getting arm strength and stamina back to be able to pitch later into games and is close to getting where he needs to be. Though Skaggs didn't pitch in 2015, Bennett said Skaggs benefitted greatly by participating in the team's instructional league in the offseason to get his mechanics where they needed to be for 2016.
"Now he just has to get over that mental barrier of being healthy and letting his natural ability come back, and get in his mind that he's healthy," Bennett said.
Bennett said the key coaching Skaggs through that is patience and not letting him get overwhelmed.
Skaggs said that he has improved his pitching mechanics from where they were before the injury.
"I feel that my mechanics are better than they were before I got injured," Skaggs said. "I know my body a lot better now and I've actually changed a few things in my mechanics, so I feel pretty comfortable doing it right now."
To help ease Skaggs back into pitching from the surgery, the Angels have enforced an innings limit during his first handful of starts this season. That way he builds up his stamina as the season goes on and that he starts racking up innings later in the year, which would make him available for the Angels in any possible postseason run.
"I think my first few starts are going to be very limited — probably three or four innings for this first month," he said.
While Skaggs will start the season with Salt Lake, there is no timetable for his return to Los Angeles with a mutual understanding that he will have to earn a spot back in the majors.
However, he said he is excited to return to the mound and eventually back to the majors.
"The eye has always been on the prize, and that's to come back and help the team win and actually pitch back in the big leagues." Skaggs said. "It's one of those things were you tell yourself all that hard work is going to pay off in the end."