La Stella out 8-10 weeks with tibia fracture

ARLINGTON -- The Angels were hit by two injuries in Tuesday night’s win over the Rangers, losing Tommy La Stella and Brian Goodwin after they were felled by a foul ball and a hit by pitch, respectively. Both players were moved to the 10-day injured list Wednesday.

La Stella’s injury, a fractured right tibia, is the more serious of the two and will likely keep him out 8-10 weeks. La Stella had also been enjoying a career year thus far, batting .300 with 16 homers and an .848 OPS in 78 games.

“The entire team feels awful for Tommy,” manager Brad Ausmus said. “He comes over here, and he’s had this breakout season, named to the All-Star Game, and six days before the break, he gets a two-month injury, basically. … It’s a blow to our team, without question, but the immediate thought is just about him.”

In the sixth inning Tuesday, La Stella fouled a pitch off the top of his shin, just under his kneecap, and immediately dropped to the dirt. He had to be helped off the field.

“It doesn’t feel good … I’ve fouled balls off my leg before, but it definitely felt a little different,” said La Stella, who was on crutches Wednesday.

La Stella said he hasn’t decided whether he’ll go to Cleveland to participate in the All-Star festivities next week.

“Honestly, with everything that’s been going on, it’s kind of been the last thing on my mind, but I’ll think about it over the next 24 [hours] or so,” La Stella said.

Goodwin played center field Tuesday until he was hit in the right wrist by a pitch from Jesse Biddle in the seventh inning. Medical exams Wednesday showed no fractures, though, so he could be ready to return quickly.

“All circumstances considered, I think we got the best possible result that we were looking for,” Goodwin said. “I came in, saw the doctors, got X-rays and CT scans and everything came out clear.”

To replace La Stella and Goodwin, the Angels called up Matt Thaiss and Jarrett Parker from Triple-A Salt Lake on Wednesday.

Thaiss made his Major League debut as the starting third baseman against the Rangers and doubled in his first at-bat. He went 1-for-3 and scored a run in the 6-2 win. Parker made a surprise appearance in the sixth as a defensive replacement for Justin Upton, who exited with left quadriceps tightness.

Thaiss, 24, was having a strong season with Salt Lake, batting .274 with 17 doubles, 14 homers and 49 RBIs. Parker has also been productive in Triple-A, hitting .296 with 19 homers and a 1.028 OPS.

Players stepped up for postgame talk

Ausmus said the emotionally charged press conference on Tuesday, when Mike Trout, Andrew Heaney, Justin Upton and Justin Bour all spoke tearfully about the death of teammate Tyler Skaggs, was a spur-of-the-moment decision after the game. More than a dozen players stood alongside Ausmus as they addressed the media.

“There was a lot of discussion about some group of representative players being able to address the media … for Tyler Skaggs’ family’s sake,” Ausmus said. “We made it clear that they were under no obligation to do it, and if they were uncomfortable doing it, then no judgment, don’t do it. And the players really at that point discussed among themselves … and came to the conclusion that [Heaney, Calhoun and Trout] would be the guys to talk. But the rest of the team wanted to be there. Really, it was the players who ultimately made that decision to have that format.”

Worth noting

• Matt Harvey made his first rehab start Wednesday since going down with back stiffness in late May. Harvey threw four innings for the Class A Inland Empire 66ers, allowing two earned runs on four hits. He could be ready to return after the All-Star break, following one more rehab start.

“Report was that it was a good outing,” Ausmus said. “A little tentative in the first inning, but once he settled in, he was fine.”

• Albert Pujols fouled a ball off his foot Tuesday and was out of the lineup Wednesday, but he's not expected to need an IL stint.

• Pitcher JC Ramírez (Tommy John surgery) will get to 90 pitches in a rehab start before being ready to return, Ausmus said, but the manager noted that doesn’t necessarily mean Ramirez will be a starter when he’s back.