A’s Sean Manaea threw April no-hitter with shoulder injury

ANAHEIM — Even when he was mowing down the Red Sox during his April 21 no-hitter, Sean Manaea was pitching with a damaged left shoulder.

Saturday, in his first remarks since his Sept. 19 shoulder surgery, Manaea said his arm had troubled him all season. “A pretty long time, it’s been bothering me for pretty much the whole year,” Manaea said.

Manaea, Oakland’s top starter most of the season, is much loved by his teammates, and when the A’s clinched a playoff spot in Seattle on Monday, many of the players were FaceTiming with him because Manaea was in Arizona beginning his rehab.

“I wish I’d had that first-hand experience, but the fact they reached out to me and wanted me to be a part of it was really special,” Manaea said. “All these guys deserved it and we worked our butts off to get here.”

Manaea won’t miss any other postseason celebrations. He will accompany the team to New York for the wild-card game and beyond.

“It’s amazing, seeing everyone, welcoming me back and everyone was excited to see me, too,” he said. “Just being here for the last series is awesome and I’m really looking forward to the wild-card game in New York.”

Dr. Neal ElAttrache created more room in Manaea’s shoulder capsule and repaired a small tear in the labrum, and the A’s believe there is some chance Manaea could pitch in 2019. Manaea, whose left arm is in a sling, said Saturday he does not have a timetable to begin pitching again.

Briefly: The A’s 97 wins are their most since the 2002 team won 103. ... Ramón Laureano threw out Taylor Ward at third in the fifth, Laureano’s ninth assist since he was called up Aug. 3, the most in the majors in that span. ... The season series between the A’s and Angels is tied 9-9 going into the finale. .. Sunday is expected to be the final game for Angels longtime manager Mike Scioscia.

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Susan Slusser is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.