Haven't we been through this before?

Well, yes, as a matter of fact, we have.

Last season.

At this time one year ago, John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar were out of commission, and there were serious concerns that the Angels' rotation -- seemingly one of the game's best -- would get torched.

Lackey missed six weeks, and Escobar missed the entire season. With Ervin Santana and Joe Saunders riding to the rescue with All-Star performances, the Angels won more games than any team in the Majors from April through September.

This time, Escobar (recovering from shoulder surgery) and Santana (sprained elbow) won't be ready to start the season, and Lackey (forearm strain) is questionable.

Spotlight on the Angels An up-close look at the club as we approach Opening Day News and Features • Rotation issues • Scioscia Q&A • Organization preview • Prospects to watch • Quick hits Multimedia • Hunter • Scioscia • Reagins • Wood • Figgins • Lackey • Mathis & Napoli

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Enter Dustin Moseley, Shane Loux and Nick Adenhart.

At least two and possibly all three will have rotation spots when the season opens on April 6. The Angels once again will lean on their remarkable organizational depth to carry them through until the big guns return in good health.

"We feel we have the talent to absorb some losses," said Angels manager Mike Scioscia.

In the Scioscia era, the foundation for a .551 winning percentage and five postseason trips in nine seasons has been a high-caliber starting rotation constructed largely from within the organization.

In pursuit of a fifth American League West title in six years, the Angels eventually will feature four starters developed in their system: Lackey, Santana, Saunders and Jered Weaver. Only Weaver, whose potential is vast, has not made an AL All-Star team in the past two seasons among those four.

The fifth starter promises to be Escobar, whose comeback from shoulder surgery last July has been the most compelling story of the spring. He reached 96 mph on the radar gun in a Minor League camp game on Monday and had his changeup in devastating condition.

Escobar could be back before the end of April, Scioscia said. If the big Venezuelan returns anywhere close to his 2007 form, which produced an 18-7 record and a 3.40 ERA, and Santana and Lackey also reach top form, the Angels could have the game's deepest and best rotation.

In the meantime, Moseley, the club's emergency starter the past two seasons, appears poised to not only plug a gap but make it difficult for Scioscia to lift him from the rotation.

Moseley, a 27-year-old right-hander acquired from the Reds in exchange for Ramon Ortiz after the 2004 season, has made a total of 18 starts the past two seasons.

After going 1-1 with a 4.20 ERA in eight starts in 2007, Moseley needed postseason surgery to alleviate pressure on his right ulna nerve. He never found a groove in 2008, making 10 starts (and two relief appearances) for the Angels with a 2-4 record and 6.79 ERA.

Moseley had two dismal outings (against the A's and White Sox) that inflated his ERA, but he also delivered handsomely on several occasions. He notched a key win in Oakland subbing for Saunders right before the All-Star break, and the Angels were 6-4 in his starts.

When he's on his game, Moseley unleashes a two-seam fastball with excellent late movement. More than a year removed from his surgery, he has found the confidence to cut loose without concern and to let go of misfortune.

"The biggest thing I've been able to do this spring is make a pitch, not get the result I wanted out of it, and let it go and move on to the next one," Moseley said.

"I read a Yogi-ism recently. He said, 'Don't worry about the past, because there's no future in it.' I like that."

One of the highlights of the spring was Moseley catching Dodgers superstar Manny Ramirez looking twice at two-seamers for third strikes and grounding into a double play on a sinker.

"Any time you make pitches on a guy like Manny," Scioscia said, "it shows you've got good stuff -- and he did. Mose is deceiving. He's got good action on his fastball. He painted on [Ramirez]. He had good sequences."

Loux, a 29-year-old native of Rapid City, S.D., hasn't made a Major League start since 2003 with the Tigers, but left a positive impression on Angels brass with his 2.81 ERA in seven relief appearances and strong effort at Triple-A Salt Lake in 2008.

Loux, a big man at 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds, is 1-4 with a 6.41 ERA in 21 Major League appearances, seven as a starter. He was 12-6 with a 3.98 ERA in 22 starts last season and was the Pacific Coast League's Pitcher of the Year.

"In the 13 years of my career," Loux said, "this is only the second time I've had a legitimate chance to make a big league club out of Spring Training. It's something I have to deal with. I'll get better. It's just a matter of taking a deep breath and moving on."

The first time he was projected to make a staff was in 2003 with the Tigers, but young Jeremy Bonderman seized the opening.

"I came in to win a job [in '03] and Bonderman took my job," Loux said. "He came in and dominated. I have no regrets. He took my job from me, and that's why I can't let this get away from me."

Loux pounds the strike zone with sinking fastballs and off-speed stuff.

"I can live with base hits," Loux said. "I challenge guys in the zone. When I walk guys, that frustrates me."

Adenhart, pressed into service by the Angels last May against the A's, was uncharacteristically wild in his Major League debut, walking five men and yielding five earned runs in two-plus innings. He improved in two ensuing starts, capturing a win against the White Sox with 5 2/3 innings on May 12 before he was returned to Salt Lake.

While he didn't perform as anticipated in Salt Lake (9-13, 5.76 ERA, 26 starts), Adenhart, 23, remains a premium prospect with superior stuff and a smooth, effortless delivery.

"Last year when I got called up," Adenhart said, "I was like, 'This is it.' I realized it was a dream come true, something I'd wanted since I was a kid.

"I wanted to throw a shutout the first couple times. I set my expectations high, and I struggled. When I regained my confidence at the end of the year, I realized I couldn't worry about what happened after the ball left my hand. I'm trying to relax and have fun."

Adenhart has a big curveball, a fastball consistently in the 91-94 mph range and a changeup that can be his punch-out pitch.

In any combination, the Angels appear well armed again in their quest for October riches.