Hunter Strickland’s contributions are going to be limited to what he can provide in the Angels clubhouse for a while.

The veteran right-hander was diagnosed with a “significant strain” in a muscle in his shoulder, he said on Wednesday when he underwent a second round of MRI exams.

“It doesn’t require surgery, which is the best, but it’s significant time,” Strickland said.

The Angels moved Strickland to the 60-day injured list, making him ineligible to return until September. Strickland is hoping to do just that.

Strickland, 36, pitched all of last season with the Angels. He signed a minor-league deal over the winter with the Texas Rangers, who released him in April. The Angels then signed him to a minor-league deal and he was back in the majors in May.

Strickland had a 3.27 ERA in 19 games, including a stretch of 13 straight scoreless games to start his season.

The Angels’ bullpen as a group had a 7.04 ERA on the day Strickland arrived, and it’s been 3.54 since.

Strickland’s influence obviously didn’t have that much impact, but it’s not entirely a coincidence.

“One of the things we talked about when we brought him was the veteran presence, so the experiential piece of what he brings is huge,” interim manager Ray Montgomery said. “So, obviously, with him still being around for a little bit, I don’t know what it’ll look like going forward, but that’ll give him the opportunity to still have the effect on the guys.”

Strickland said he’d love to stay with the team during his rehab, but he’s not sure yet what the team’s plans are.

For now, Strickland’s transfer to the 60-day injured list allowed the Angels to open a 40-man roster spot for right-hander Carson Fulmer to return to the Angels.

Fulmer, 31, joined the bullpen on Wednesday to provide multi-inning coverage. Left-hander Sam Aldegheri was optioned after he pitched two innings in a blowout loss to Texas on Tuesday night.

Fulmer had a 4.15 ERA with the Angels last season, pitching 86 2/3 innings. He started eight times and pitched in relief 29 times. Fulmer signed this year with the Pittsburgh Pirates, who released him. He then re-signed a minor league deal with the Angels.

“I’m familiar here,” Fulmer said. “Obviously some of my closest friends in baseball. And it’s really nice to be back, but got a job to do as well, so lock it in here and hopefully have some fun.”

Fulmer had a 1.54 ERA in 11 2/3 innings at Triple-A Salt Lake. He said he’s been throwing more fastballs this season.

— Jeff Fletcher

EX-MANAGER ELIA DIES

Lee Elia, a former major league player and longtime coach who was managing the Chicago Cubs in 1983 when he famously criticized the team’s fans in a memorable postgame rant, has died. He was 87.

The Philadelphia Phillies said Elia died on Wednesday. No further details were provided.

Elia, a Philadelphia native, had a 238-300 record in four seasons as a big league manager, two with the Cubs and two with the Phillies. He was a shortstop during his playing career, batting .203 with three homers and 25 RBIs in 95 games with the White Sox and Cubs.

On April 29, 1983, Elia was the skipper for the Cubs when they dropped to 5-14 with a 4-3 loss to the Dodgers. The Wrigley Field crowd of 9,391 threw garbage at Keith Moreland and Larry Bowa as the Cubs made their way to the clubhouse.

Elia responded with an expletive-filled rant that lives on in censored versions still being played on various programs years later. As part of his remarks, he declared that 85% of the world is working and that “the other 15 come out here.”

Back then, there were no lights at Wrigley Field and the Cubs played only day games at home.

“At the moment, it was very, very difficult,” Elia said 25 years later while revisiting that day as part of a charity drive. “But you sit here and you’re 70 years old and you look at it and you say to yourself, ‘You know, yeah, it was unfortunate.’ But for crying out loud, we’re human beings and you make mistakes sometimes.”

Elia managed the Phillies in 1987 and 1988. He was the third base coach when the Phillies won the 1980 World Series.

Elia also worked for the Seattle Mariners from 1993-97, 2001-02 and in 2008 as a hitting coach, bench coach and special assistant. He later was a special assistant to the general manager, and scout for the Dodgers.