Heaney inspired by Skaggs after TJ surgery

KANSAS CITY — Tuesday marked the 26th day of Andrew Heaney’s recovery from Tommy John surgery, which you can figure out simply by glancing at his Instagram page. He’s in Anaheim now. Heaney and his wife were going to spend the day shopping, then grab a bite to eat, then settle into their apartment and tune into the Angels’ game against the Royals at Kauffman Stadium, where Tyler Skaggs made his return from the same procedure, five days before the two-year anniversary of his last Major League start.

Heaney called Skaggs’ return “inspirational,” though he didn’t want to appear overly sentimental.

“Thing is, I’ve never seen Tyler Skaggs pitch in a big league game,” said Heaney, who didn’t become an Angel until December 2014, about four months after Skaggs’ surgery. “I’ve only ever seen him rehabbing. That’s kind of how I know him as a baseball player. So to see him finally get to compete is awesome.”

Heaney is one of three Angels starting pitchers to damage his ulnar collateral ligament this season, but so far the only one who has undergone Tommy John surgery.

Garrett Richards is still waiting to see if the stem-cell therapy he began in May will allow him to avoid surgery, with an important followup visit scheduled for next week. Nick Tropeano was diagnosed with a medium- to high-grade tear in his UCL last Tuesday, and though Dr. David Altchek confirmed the diagnosis, Tropeano is still waiting to make a final decision on …

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