Random Angels Thoughts and Rumblings

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News from the 13th fo June.

Dallas McPherson (back) has been cleared to begin running on a treadmill and could return by season's end.
McPherson underwent back surgery in January and is still at least a month away from taking batting practice. "There's definitely a good chance I could be on the field this year," McPherson said. "I'm holding out a lot of hope for that. Hopefully, they still have plans for me. I hope they do."

Juan Rivera (leg) could begin taking batting practice as soon as next week.
Rivera, who's coming back from a broken leg, has already begun hitting off a tee.

Garret Anderson is starting in left field Wednesday against the Reds.
Anderson missed two starts because of tightness in his right leg.

John Lackey won his 10th game of the year Wednesday with a solid six-inning performance.
He gave up just three hits and three runs -- only one earned -- while striking out four and walking one. Although Lackey plunked two Reds, this was a nice bounceback after he got beat up somewhat by the Twins last week. Francisco Rodriguez pitched a perfect ninth for his 20th save.

Orlando Cabrera had three hits and three runs Wednesday to lead the Angels to a 6-3 win over the Reds.
He added a sac fly for his 36th RBI of the year. With his 3-for-4 night, Cabrera has taken his BA up to .339 with 45 runs in 64 games. Vladimir Guerrero also came through with a big night, driving in four runs.

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News from the 14th of June.

Maicer Izturis, originally expected to come off the DL on Friday after missing three weeks with a strained hamstring, suffered a setback playing for Triple-A Salt Lake on Wednesday.
"He's a little oblique problem," manager Mike Scioscia said. "He was running and he felt something in his side. He's not playing this weekend." Erick Aybar will stick around for now.

Vladimir Guerrero drove in three runs with a single and a sac fly in Thursday's win.
Guerrero has seven RBI the last two days, putting him up to 61 on the season. Alex Rodriguez is the only major leaguer with more.

Bartolo Colon improved to 6-2 despite giving up five runs -- four earned -- in six innings Thursday against the Reds.
Colon gave up homers to Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Gonzalez in the bottom of the sixth, putting the Angels down 5-3. However, the team rallied for six runs in the top of the seventh, leaving Colon in line for a more favorable outcome. This is now four straight mediocre or worse performances from Colon. He's likely still dealing with some arm issues, making him a weaker play in mixed leagues.

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News from the 15th of June.

According to the Los Angeles Times, "there is no indication that Justin Speier is any closer to a return than he was 10 days ago."
Speier (intestinal infection) hasn't pitched since the end of April and had his minor league rehab assignment shut down earlier this month. The newspaper reports that "there is no timetable for when he might pitch again."

Darren O'Day picked up his fourth win in relief for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga with a perfect inning on Thursday.
He has allowed just two earned runs and 10 hits in 23 2/3 innings. A sidearmer with a below average fastball, O'Day went undrafted despite a very successful career as a reliever at the University of Florida. He has no real upside, but his ability to retire right-handers could get him to the majors as a middle reliever someday.

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News from the 16th of June.

Ervin Santana was charged with a loss against the Dodgers on Friday, but he pitched well by giving up just two runs in seven innings of work at Dodger Stadium.
Santana had pitched poorly in all six of his road starts in April and May, but he gave up three runs in six innings in St. Louis last time out and looked strong today. Maybe it's the start of Santana figuring out his problems away from Anaheim, but he's got a strong trend to reverse. He entered the day with a career ERA almost four full runs higher on the road.

Stephen Marek left his start for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Friday with a hand injury.
Marek faced one batter in the third before departing. He's probably day-to-day.

Garret Anderson left Saturday's game in the first inning after aggravaing his hip injury.
He's likely day-to-day again. The Angels upgraded by replacing him with Reggie Willits in left field.

Casey Kotchman left Saturday's game in the seventh inning with a concussion.
Kotchman was hit in the back of the helmet by a thrown ball while diving back into first base. Robb Quinlan and Shea Hillenbrand likely will have to fill in for him for a few days.

Jered Weaver shut out the Dodgers for 5 1/3 innings Saturday in the Angels' 3-0 victory.
Weaver, who left his last start back tightness, wasn't at his best today, yielding four hits and walking four before being removed. Fortunately, Darren Oliver, Scot Shields and Francisco Rodriguez combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings in relief. It was just the second time as a major leaguer that Weaver walked four batters. He also did in last July 23 versus the Royals.

Garret Anderson is going back on the disabled list after aggravating his hip injury on Saturday.
No word yet on who is being called up to replace him, but Kendry Morales and Terry Evans are logica; candidates. This just isn't much of a loss, as the Angels are better off with Reggie Willits in left field. Anderson is an improvement over Shea Hillenbrand as the designated hitter, but it might not be a big difference. Robb Quinlan could also see time at DH.

I wasn't worried with Weaver on the mound against the Dodgers yesterday.

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News from the 17th of June.

Angels recalled outfielder Terry Evans from Triple-A Salt Lake.
Evans, who was picked up from the Cardinals for Jeff Weaver last year, will be making his major league debut after hitting .327/.352/.556 with 10 homers and 13 steals for Salt Lake. He has some fantasy upside if he gets a few starts per week at DH. Still, his eagerness to chase bad pitches could make it difficult for him to amass a decent OBP.

Angels placed outfielder Garret Anderson on the 15-day disabled list with a right hip injury.
Reggie Willits will resume playing regularly with Anderson going on the DL for the second time this season. Terry Evans might see significant time in the DH spot ahead of Shea Hillenbrand.

Howie Kendrick went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI against the Dodgers on Sunday.
He singled twice and doubled once while also stealing a base. Kendrick entered the day batting just .225 with one homer and four RBI since returning from a broken finger on May 23. He's likely to pick it up considerably if he's fully healthy, and he represents a solid buy-low option given his poor overall numbers.

Kelvim Escobar surrendered three runs in seven innings of work to beat the Dodgers on Sunday.
Escobar struck out eight and walked two while yielding eight hits. We liked his chances of improving on last year's 11-14 record and 3.61 ERA if he could remain healthy, and outside of a minor shoulder injury during April he's done just that. Since he's still likely to hit the disabled list again some time this year, Escobar is worth selling high on.

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News from the 18th of June.

Casey Kotchman (concussion) will likely miss more several days, but the Angels don't expect him to need a stint on the disabled list.
"I don't feel as woozy, as spaced out, as I did Saturday," Kotchman said. "When I get my balance back, when I can work out and get my heart rate up without getting a little disoriented, I should be ready to go." Kotchman was hospitalized Saturday and a CT scan revealed a Grade I concussion, which is the mildest grade.

According to the New York Post, the Yankees have talked to the Angels about trading for Shea Hillenbrand.
Hillenbrand's playing time with the Angels has dried up and the Yankees were reportedly interested in signing him during the offseason. Mixing Hillenbrand with the Yankees and the New York media could lead to some "interesting" moments.

Jose Arredondo gave up five runs in an inning Sunday in his second appearance for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga.
Arredondo, probably the Angels' top relief prospect, was supposed to be a Texas League All-Star, but the club demoted him last week for disciplinary reasons. He's always been viewed as immature, a trait that could stand in his way while he should be working his way up to the majors.

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News from the 19th of June.

Jon Lackey couldn't hold the Angels' lead on Monday, giving up six runs in 4 2/3 innings to take a no-decision.
Lackey was pretty upset with the umpire during the Astros' five-run fifth inning, but he just wasn't making any good pitches. He was pretty fortunate to have only allowed one run through four on a night in which he didn't have close to his best stuff.

Chone Figgins capped a 6-for-6 night with a game-winning triple in the bottom of the ninth as the Angels beat the Astros 10-9 on Monday.
Figgins also had the game-tying hit in the seventh, a one-hopper off home plate that he barely managed to beat out. Figgins previously had a double and a stolen base. It's the 11th time in 17 games that he's had multiple hits, and he's raised his average from .133 on May 30 to .284 now.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Garret Anderson (hip) is expected to miss 3-4 weeks.
Anderson said Monday that his latest hip injury isn't as severe as the one that sidelined him earlier in the season. "These injuries take time to heal," Anderson said. "You're not dealing with bone. It's tissue, but it takes time."

Casey Kotchman (concussion) won't begin working out again until his headaches subside.
Kotchman said Monday that he felt better, but hasn't been cleared to begin baseball activities yet.

Juan Rivera (leg) has been cleared to begin taking batting practice.
Rivera, who's hoping for a July comeback from a broken leg, has been running on a treadmill.

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News from the 20th of June.

Bartolo Colon struggled through six innings against the Astros on Tuesday, allowing seven runs and 11 hits.
This completes a full month of lousy pitching from Colon, who had his last quality start on May 17. Since that outing, he’s given up 22 earned runs and 46 hits in 26 2/3 innings. Maybe he’s not in any pain because of his triceps strain, but the Angels should be thinking about having him skip a couple of starts anyway.

According to the Los Angeles Times, John Lackey could be scratched from his scheduled start Sunday because of tightness in his right shoulder.
Lackey reportedly began to experience tightness last Wednesday and was examined by Dr. Lewis Yocum after a rough outing Monday. Because they have Thursday off, the Angels may decide to push Lackey's next start back to Tuesday against the Royals if they don't skip it completely.

Casey Kotchman (concussion) is said to be hoping for a Friday return.
Kotchman has been sidelined since suffering a concussion Saturday, but said Tuesday that he was feeling better.

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News from the 21st of June.

An examination Wednesday turned up nothing significant in John Lackey's shoulder.
"I'll be fine, no big deal," Lackey said. "It's a lot looser today." Lackey may have his scheduled Sunday start pushed back a day or two.

Terry Evans hit his first major league homer Wednesday off the Astros' Wandy Rodriguez.
It was a two-run shot. Evans also walked and came around to score. He might see fairly significant playing time at DH while Garret Anderson is out, giving him value in AL-only leagues.

Vladimir Guerrero hit a three-run homer to cap a six-run seventh inning Wednesday as the Angels defeated the Astros 8-4.
With the bullpen short-handed, Astros manager Phil Garner asked Wandy Rodriguez to pitch into the seventh, a decision that proved to be a mistake. An error got the inning rolling, and Rodriguez was removed after a one-out walk. From there, Dave Borkowski threw gasoline on the first, walking three straight before a sac fly and Vlad's homer. It was Guerrero's first bomb since June 3.

Jered Weaver (shoulder) has been scratched from his scheduled start Friday against the Pirates.
Weaver injured his shoulder sliding into second base Saturday and was unable to do his usual between-start bullpen session. Manager Mike Scioscia said Wednesday that Weaver's next outing will come next week, with Joe Saunders being called up from Triple-A to replace him Friday.

Manager Mike Scioscia said Wednesday that the Angels don't expect Justin Speier (intestinal infection) to return until the second half.
"He feels he's getting over the hump, and he's continuing to work into his stamina," Scioscia said. "We're very encouraged at his progress, but he most likely won't return until after the All-Star break." Speier has been out since May 1.

Casey Kotchman (concussion) said Wednesday that his headaches have subsided and he hopes to return over the weekend.
Kotchman rode an exercise bike Wednesday and is scheduled to take batting practice Friday, making a Saturday return possible.

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News from the 22nd of June.

Jordan Walden pitched three scoreless innings and struck out five Thursday for for Rookie Oren in his pro debut.
Walden and Matt Latos (Padres) were the most notable 2006 draft-and-follows to come to terms before the May 31 deadline, getting bonuses of over $1 million. Walden likely would have been at least a supplemental first-round pick had he returned to the draft. With a fastball that reaches the mid-90s and a slider that projects as a plus pitch, he could be a quality starter or an excellent reliever.

Angels recalled LHP Joe Saunders from Triple-A Salt Lake.
Saunders is getting the start tonight in place of the injured Jered Weaver.

Angels optioned outfielder Terry Evans from Triple-A Salt Lake.
Some reward for his homer Wednesday. The Angels should have dropped Nathan Haynes instead, but even though he has no place in they're plans, they're afraid of losing him on waivers.

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News from the 23rd of June.

Reggie Willits went 4-for-6 with a pair of doubles and two RBI in the 11-inning game against the Pirates on Friday.
Just how many more games would the Angels have lost this year had Garret Anderson not gotten hurt on April 27? The Angels were 12-11 on that date and Willits had a total of 20 at-bats. Since that date, the club is 35-16 and Willits is hitting .353 in 170 at-bats. He's also totaled 34 walks, a figure than Anderson has exceeded once in a 14-year career. Willits' playing time likely would have increased anyway, but it would have been far more gradual. It's doubtful that he would have ended up the legitimate Rookie of the Year contender that he is now.

Orlando Cabrera went 3-for-6 with a homer and a game-winning single as the Angels edged the Pirates 6-5 on Friday.
Cabrera's single to deep left likely would have been an out under normal circumstances, but Chone Figgins had led off the inning with a triple and the Pittsburgh outfield was playing well in. In all, Cabrera drove in three runs. The homer was just his fourth and he's not stealing as many bases as he's capable of, but fantasy owners surely have no complaints. His current .340 average blows away his career-best mark of .297 from 2003.

As expected John Lackey (shoulder) will be scratched from his scheduled start Sunday and replaced by Bartolo Colon.
Lackey will have a bullpen session prior to Sunday's game. He should return to the rotation Tuesday against Kansas City.

Jered Weaver, who was scratched from his start on Friday due to a bruised right shoulder, will start on Wednesday.
"It feels like it's healing," said Weaver. "It's just a little sore. We want to be safe with it."

Angels optioned LHP Joe Saunders to Triple-A Salt Lake.
Just a one-day promotion for Saunders, who allowed four runs in six innings Friday against the Pirates. He's 3-1 with a 2.97 ERA in five starts this season.

Angels recalled first baseman Kendry Morales from Triple-A Salt Lake.
Morales is 4-for-16 with a homer in two stints with the Angels this season. He probably won't be up for long. He just turned 24 this month, so he's still too young to be rotting away on a major league bench.

Gary Matthews Jr. left Saturday's game because of left hamstring tightness.
Nathan Haynes pinch-ran for him in the third inning. Matthews is likely day-to-day.

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News from the 24th of June.

Howie Kendrick had two hits, two RBI and three runs scored Saturday against the Pirates.
Kendrick has 13 hits and 10 runs scored during a seven-game hitting streak that's pushed his average up to .295. He's looking like an asset in mixed leagues again.

Gary Matthews Jr. hopes to play Sunday after leaving Saturday's game with left hamstring tightness.
"Just running down the line, it felt a little tight -- but it didn't pull or grab or anything," Matthews said after the game. "They yanked me, but I could have finished it out. It feels OK right now. I want to go out and play tomorrow." Nathan Haynes might get one start in his place.

Jered Weaver (shoulder) will throw in the bullpen Sunday and is hopeful he'll start on Wednesday.
Manager Mike Scioscia said John Lackey will start Monday against Kansas City and Ervin Santana will start Tuesday. Weaver was scratched on Friday because of a bruised right shoulder.

Casey Kotchman, out since June 16 because of a concussion, took batting practice, ground balls and other drills Saturday.
He hasn't had a headache since Wednesday. "I'm getting better every day," he said. "I don't know if he'll play [today]," manager Mike Scioscia said, "but we'll move forward. When he's ready, he's ready, but we're not targeting one day."

Back on his rehab assignment, Justin Speier pitched a perfect inning for the Rookie AZL Angels on Saturday.
Speier has been out since the end of April with an intestinal infection. How he throws this week will determine whether he has a chance of returning before the All-Star break.

Brandon Wood homered and doubled twice Saturday for Triple-A Salt Lake.
Wood is batting .361 with four homers over the last nine games, putting him back up to .258/.350/.475 on the season. He's going to need a big second half in order to thrust himself into the Angels' plans for 2008.

Gary Matthews Jr. flied out as a pinch-hitter Sunday after leaving Saturday's game with hamstring tightness.
He might return to center field for Monday's game.

Bartolo Colon turned in his first quality start since May 17 by yielding two runs in six innings Sunday against the Pirates.
Maybe they should have different rules for quality starts. Like four runs in six innings against the Tigers is fine, but for the Pirates, a pitcher should have to go at least seven innings and allow no more than one run. Colon allowed seven hits and walked four, so wasn't exactly dominant today. There's still ample reason to be concerned about his arm.

Erick Aybar singled in Howie Kendrick in the bottom of the 10th to give the Angels a 4-3 win over the Pirates on Sunday.
Francisco Rodriguez blew a rare save in the ninth after a walk, two wild pitches and a single. Aybar's liner to right would have been a double if it hadn't ended the game. Instead, it was his second single. He got the nod at shortstop today, providing Orlando Cabrera with a rare breather.

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News from the 25th of June.

Casey Kotchman (concussion) is expected to return to the lineup Monday.
Kotchman ceased having headaches Wednesday, but the Angels have been very cautious with his return. He was hitting fifth before the concussion, but will now likely bat sixth in the lineup.

Jered Weaver (shoulder) threw a bullpen session Sunday and is on track to make his scheduled start Wednesday.
Weaver missed his last start with a bruised shoulder, but the Los Angeles Times called his bullpen session "rigorous."

Stephen Marek returned to the mound on Sunday and allowed two runs in six innings for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga.
He struck out eight. Marek had his start pushed back a few days after leaving his June 15 outing with a hand injury.

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News from the 26th of June.

Gary Matthews Jr. will likely be limited to bench duties through at least Tuesday because of his tight left hamstring.
Matthews was used as a pinch-hitter Sunday after getting hurt on Saturday. Erick Aybar made his first career start in the outfield with Matthews sidelined tonight.

Casey Kotchman went 0-for-4 in his return to the lineup Monday against the Royals.
Kotchman may need a couple of more games to regain his swing after missing time with a concussion. The Angels, though, didn't ease him tonight, inserting him into the lineup in the fifth spot right behind Vladimir Guerrero.

John Lackey pitched eight innings and allowed five runs -- three earned -- Monday in a loss to the Royals.
Lackey has been having some shoulder tightness, so it was nice to see him go eight innings, even if he wasn't terribly effective. All five runs scored in the first three innings, so he did get better as the night went on. He struck out seven and walked one.

Despite being optioned to Triple-A Saturday, Joe Saunders remains in Anaheim for what he called "just in case" purposes.
In other words, the Angels removed him from their 25-man roster, but haven't sent him to Triple-A yet in case they need a fill-in for an injured starter like Jered Weaver or Bartolo Colon. Weaver could be scratched from his scheduled start Wednesday against the Royals because of a sore throat.

Jered Weaver (shoulder) is questionable to make his scheduled start Wednesday because of a sore throat.
"It came on real quick," Weaver said. "I felt something toward the end of the game Sunday." Weaver, who missed his last start with a bruised shoulder, reportedly couldn't swallow water and visited a doctor Monday. If he can't pitch Wednesday against the Royals, the Angels will likely place him on the disabled list and recall Joe Saunders, who has remained in Anaheim since being optioned to Triple-A over the weekend.

Gary Matthews Jr. (hamstring) is expected to be sidelined until at least Friday.
Matthews injured his hamstring Saturday and then "could sense it wasn't right" while pinch-hitting Sunday. "We want to be careful so it's only four or five days instead of four or five weeks," Matthews said.

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News from the 27th of June.

Darren Oliver allowed his third homer of the year to a left-hander when Alex Gordon smashed a three-run bomb off him on Tuesday.
The Angels could pick randomly from all of their players in the minors -- hitters included -- and likely upgrade from Oliver in the pen. Left-handed hitters are 16-for-36 with five walks this season. It's past time for the Angels to cut bait here.

In a rare ugly home start, Ervin Santana was tagged for seven runs -- five earned -- in five innings by the Royals on Tuesday.
Santana brought nothing with him to the ballpark tonight. For the first time in 72 major league starts, he failed to strike out a batter, and he allowed two homers to the team that ranked last in the AL in that category. Now the Royals can go for a sweep in Anaheim on Wednesday.

Manager Mike Scioscia indicated Tuesday that he's concerned about Ervin Santana potentially being injured following his poor start against the Royals.
"We're going to talk to him [today] to find out," Scioscia said. "I didn't see that aggressiveness that's in him. It seems like right now he's searching. If he's fine physically, that will be a relief. He hasn't given us any indication he's hurt. He just didn't turn the ball loose like he can."

Jered Weaver plans to start Wednesday against the Royals regardless of the results of his strep throat culture.
"I definitely feel better than I did Monday," Weaver said. "I couldn't swallow anything Monday. Today, I feel a lot more energy."

Justin Speier (intestinal infection) threw two scoreless innings Tuesday in his second appearance for the Rookie AZL Angels.
He allowed one hit and struck out three. Perhaps he'll rejoin the Angels' bullpen next week.

Reggie Willits left Wednesday's game after eight innings because of a bruised right knee.
Willits was hurt crashing into the wall to make a catch in the seventh. He'll probably be ready to go after Thursday's off day.

Jered Weaver, who missed his last start with a bruised right shoulder, surrendered one run and four hits over seven innings Wednesday against the Royals.
He took a loss, but it was a pretty impressive outing, as he struck out six and walked one. He had also been dealing with strep throat of late, putting his availability to pitch today in question.

Shea Hillenbrand was informed Wednesday that the Angels will designate him for assignment on Friday.
The Angels apparently will continue their attempts to trade him, but they haven't had any luck so far. The Yankees must figure that they'll be able to do better later on. And they're probably right. If Hillenbrand was half as good as he thought he was, he'd still be twice as good as he is. Kendry Morales should benefit most from Hillenbrand's departure.

Garret Anderson (hip) is expected to begin a rehab assignment at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Friday.
The Angels gave thought to holding Anderson out through the All-Star break, but it looks like he'll return next week. That means there's no need to rush out and pick up Kendry Morales in AL-only leagues.