Random Angels Thoughts and Rumblings

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News from the 13th of July.

Justin Speier (intestinal infection) is expected to come off the disabled list Friday.
Out since May 1, Speier has regained the dozen pounds he lost because of an intestinal infection and threw a bullpen session Thursday.

Because he didn't pitch in the All-Star game, John Lackey's next start against the Rangers has been moved up from Sunday to Saturday.
"It was cool to hang out with the guys and meet some of the guys you compete against, see what they're like off the field," Lackey said. "But it would have been better if I got to play. It's a little disappointing."

Initially expected to miss 6-8 weeks, Mike Napoli (ankle) now hopes to come off the disabled list Tuesday.
Napoli has only been out since July 1, so he's far ahead of schedule after doing agility drills Wednesday and hitting off a tee Thursday.

Angels placed RHP Chris Resop on the 15-day DL, retroactive to July 9, with tendinitis in his right triceps.
He would have been sent down if he wasn't hurt in the game Sunday against the Yankees.

Angels activated RHP Justin Speier from the 15-day disabled list.
Speier's velocity wasn't quite up to par, so he ended up spending close to three weeks pitching in the minors. He might not be effective enough to resume a seventh-inning role right away.

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News from the 14th of July.

Kelvim Escobar failed to pick up a win after allowing one run over eight innings Friday against the Rangers.
Kevin Millwood matched Escobar for seven innings, and the Angels didn't pull back ahead until winning the game in the bottom of the ninth. Escobar ranks fifth in the AL with a 3.04 ERA.

Casey Kotchman singled in Gary Matthews Jr. in the bottom of the ninth to give the Angels a 2-1 win over the Rangers on Friday.
Matthews doubled off Joaquin Benoit to begin the bottom of the ninth and Kotchman plated him against Ron Mahay after aaa Garret Anderson groundout advanced him to third. Kotchman entered the All-Star break in a 3-for-40 slump since returning from his concussion. The Angels are hoping the time off did him a lot of good.

Howie Kendrick will be put on the disabled list due to a small fracture in his left index finger.
"I already had an injury to the same hand, and I had never broken any bones in my body before this year," said Kendrick. "It really stinks, but there's nothing you can do about it. I just have to let it heal and get back out there as soon as possible." Brandon Wood will be recalled to take Kendrick's spot on the roster and Macier Izturis will see a majority of the playing time at second while Kendrick is out.

Matt Sweeney homered twice and doubled Friday for low Single-A Cedar Rapids.
Sweeney is batting .268/.328/.470 as a 19-year-old in the Midwest League. It's likely that he'll have 25- or 30-homer ability in a few years. Unfortunately, he's expected to end up at first base, rather than third, giving him a tougher path to the majors.

Angels recalled third baseman Brandon Wood from Triple-A Salt Lake.
Wood is back in the majors after going 1-for-11 in his first stint with the Angels this season. He'll get a couple of starts at third base before Howie Kendrick returns, but he shouldn't have any fantasy value.

Angels placed second baseman Howie Kendrick on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to July 8, with a broken bone in his finger.
Kendrick is aiming to return before the end of the month, but it would be the very end of the month and that would still take some luck. Maicer Izturis will get most of the playing time at second base.

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News from the 15th of July.

Reggie Willits had two hits, two RBI and two walks in Saturday's 9-5 defeat of the Rangers.
The Angels remain tied with the Red Sox for the game's best record at 55-35. Willits entered 3-for-26 with no runs scored this month. His rate stats will likely continue to decline a bit, though not so sharply that he should be replaced in the lineup. He should remain a quality fantasy outifelder as long as the Angels continue to use him at the top of the order.

Mike Napoli (ankle) caught in the bullpen and did some defensive drills Saturday.
He has been throwing and running the bases lightly, and probably will be activated in Tampa Bay on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.

Eric Aybar (hand) had the cast on his right wrist removed Saturday and will begin light range-of-motion exercises this week.
He had surgery last week to remove the hamate bone hook in his right hand. He's hoping to return sometime in late August.

Chone Figgins reached base four times and stole three bases against the Rangers on Sunday.
Figgins hit three singles and walked once while driving in a pair of runs and scoring once. The multi-talented utility player hit a scortching .461 in June, but was off to a slow 6-for-38 start in July. The three steals give him 24 in 62 games this season.

Jered Weaver took a no-decision against the Rangers on Sunday after yielding two runs -- both unearned -- in seven innings of work.
Weaver struck out six while walking two and giving up four hits. The two runs he yielded were unearned thanks to errors by Chone Figgins and Reggie Willits. The Angels were ahead 4-2 when Weaver departed, but Scot Shields blew the lead by allowing his first two runs in his last 24 2/3 innings. Weaver has given up more than three earned runs in a start just twice in 15 tries this season.

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News from the 17th of July.

Mike Napoli (ankle) ran the bases and took batting practice Tuesday.
Napoli isn't expected to be activated during the series against the Rays, but a Friday return is a possibility. Jeff Mathis will likely be sent down when Napoli is ready.

Ervin Santana was battered for 14 hits and seven runs in six innings by the struggling Devil Rays on Tuesday to drop to 5-11 for the year.
Santana, who struck out four and walked four, could very easily find himself yanked from the rotation in favor of Joe Saunders after this ugly effort.

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News from the 18th of July.

After watching him give up seven runs on 14 hits Tuesday, manager Mike Scioscia avoided saying whether or not Ervin Santana would remain in the rotation.
"We're going to look at stuff," Scioscia said. "There are some options we might look at moving forward, but we'll wait and evaluate some stuff and look at some video and see where we're going to go." The "options" Scioscia refers to are Joe Saunders and Dustin Moseley, either of whom could be called upon to replace Santana.

Angels optioned RHP Ervin Santana to Triple-A Salt Lake.
Mike Napoli replaces him on the roster. Santana gave up 16 runs in his final two starts and was 5-11 with a 6.28 ERA overall. He still has a rather bright future ahead of him, but this is the right move. The Angels will likely call up Joe Saunders to replace him in the rotation.

Angels activated catcher Mike Napoli from the 15-day disabled list.
The Angels indicated Tuesday that Napoli wouldn't be activated before Friday. However, with Ervin Santana going down, the Angels had an extra roster spot to play around with. It may or may not be a couple of days before Napoli gets a start behind the plate. Jeff Mathis likely will be sent down when Joe Saunders is called up.

It's about time Santana was sent down.

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News from the 19th of July.

Mike Napoli (ankle) hasn't started either game since coming off the disabled list Wednesday and isn't likely to catch the next two days.
Jose Molina is expected to catch Friday and Saturday. Perhaps Napoli, who hit the Angels' last home run July 1 before going on the disabled list, will break into the lineup as a designated hitter one of the days.

Kelvim Escobar scattered nine hits over 7 2/3 scoreless innings Thursday in a defeat of the Rays.
The Rays had plenty of chances, but Escobar remained undefeated since May 31. He struck out five and walked three in earning his 11th win. That matches his total in 30 starts last year. Escobar last won more than 11 games in 2003, when he had 13 in his final year in Toronto. His career high is 14 from 1999.

Orlando Cabrera, who is batting .125 in July, was rested Thursday as a "mental" day off, manager Mike Scioscia said.
Maicer Izturis played shortstop in his place. Cabrera should be in Friday's lineup.

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News from the 20th of July.

Reggie Willits has been dropped to the ninth spot in Friday's lineup.
Willits is hardly the only Angel slumping, but manager Mike Scioscia wasn't willing to mess with Orlando Cabrera or Gary Matthews Jr. Instead, Willits goes from first to ninth and Chone Figgins, Cabrera and Vladimir Guerrero each move up one spot. Garret Anderson, who had been hitting sixth, is in the cleanup spot ahead of Matthews. Willits shouldn't be worth using in shallower leagues while batting ninth.

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News from the 21st of July.

Mike Napoli, who last appeared in a game on July 1, returned to action on Friday and went 3-for-4.
Napoli went on the disabled list with a sprained left ankle and was activated on Wednesday. He didn't start either of the team's last two games and wasn't expected to catch today's outing, but he ended up in the starting lineup anyway. The three hits ties a career-high for Napoli.

John Lackey yielded seven runs -- five earned -- in five innings against the Twins on Friday to take a loss.
Lackey walked just one but also gave up a season-high 10 hits while raising his ERA to 3.21. The right-hander allowed the Twins to rally for three runs in the first and four more in the third. He finished the game with two scoreless innings, but it was too late. Lackey will get the Athletics next time out, who he is 10-3 with a 2.86 ERA against in his career.

Howie Kendrick will have X-rays this weekend to gauge how his broken finger is healing.
The results of his X-rays will determine the rehab schedule for him. He could begin playing in minor league rehab games next week if the X-rays show the finger has healed.

Chris Resop (tendinitis in triceps) threw long toss on Friday.
Resop will begin a minor league rehab assignment next week and should return from the disabled list in early August.

Gary Matthews Jr. went 0-for-4 on Saturday and is without a home run since June 17.
What's just as bad is that he let the Angels down with the glove on Joe Mauer's inside-the-park homer tonight. Mathews is batting .241 with four runs scored this month. He also without a stolen base in a few weeks, so he hasn't been much of a fantasy outfielder lately.

Angels acquired RHP Jeff Kennard from the Yankees for catcher Jose Molina.
The Angels clearly wanted Molina gone. Kennard, who turns 26 next week, had a 2.73 ERA and a 47/17 K/BB ratio in 52 2/3 innings for Double-A Trenton. The Yankees had at least a half dozen better pure relief prospects, plus a few more guys likely to make the switch from the rotation to the pen.

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News from the 22nd of July.

Garret Anderson went 2-for-4 with a solo homer as the Angels beat the Twins 7-2 on Sunday.
Anderson also walked and sigled in addition to the long ball. Every Angels' starter had at least one hit in the contest, with Chone Figgins, Orlando Cabrera, and Casey Kotchman recording two hits apiece. Anderson is batting .301 with four homers in 183 at-bats this season.

Joe Saunders improved to 4-0 on the season after yielding just two runs in seven innings of work against the Twins on Sunday.
Saunders struck out five and walked one while yielding six hits. It was an impressive performance, but it would have carried more weight if he wasn't facing a weak Twins' lineup that included Darnell McDonald, Luis Rodriguez, Nick Punto, and Jeff Cirillo. Saunders will continue to fill in for Ervin Santana as long as he's effective, and he's a good bet to remain an average or better option. AL-only leaguers should put him in their lineup right away.

Gary Matthews Jr. is expected back Monday after resting Sunday against the Twins.
The Angels said his absence today had more to do with his need of a break than the minor wrist injury he suffered Saturday.

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News from the 23rd of July.

Bartolo Colon was pulled with right elbow irritation after giving up four runs in an inning Monday against the A's.
Colon hasn't been 100 percent at any point since returning from a torn rotator cuff, and the Angels should consider shutting him down for a few weeks to see if he can come back at 100 percent for the stretch run. If it happens, Dustin Moseley might be the favorite to become the fifth starter. Ervin Santana had a nice first start in Triple-A Sunday, but the Angels won't want to go back to him yet.

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News from the 24th of July.

The Braves and Angels are the most aggressive suitors for Mark Teixeira, says FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal.
Rosenthal labels the Yankees, Red Sox and Giants as on the periphery. The Braves would likely have to part with Jarrod Saltalamacchia to pull off a deal. Yunel Escobar shouldn't be as of much interest to Texas, and Escobar is more useful to the Braves right now anyway. Having Casey Kotchman and Ervin Santana go the other way is the deal that would make the most sense for the Angels. A source told Rosenthal that the chances of a Teixeira deal are 50-50.

After having X-rays taken Monday, Howie Kendrick (finger) has not been cleared to begin baseball activities.
"There's no difference in my status," Kendrick said. "It's frustrating, but it's a broken bone and there is nothing you can do but wait. I thought it might be just a jam or a sprain. Right now I just have to let it heal."

After Bartolo Colon left Monday's game with right elbow irritation, manager Mike Scioscia said that the Angels are "concerned."
Colon is now 1-6 with a 9.26 ERA over his last 10 starts and appears likely to land on the disabled list. Rather than turn back to Ervin Santana, the Angels may chose to replace him in the rotation with Dustin Moseley. "Right now, it's something we need to look at and maybe take a step back and see what we're dealing with," Scioscia said. "Bart's been a horse for so long and he started off this year great and hopefully he'll be able to get back in that form."

Angels optioned first baseman Kendry Morales to Triple-A Salt Lake.
He was in the majors? Morales had received all of six at-bats this month. Why the Angels like to have their top prospects rotting on the bench is beyond us.

Angels purchased the contract of RHP Greg Jones from Triple-A Salt Lake.
Jones gave up five runs in three innings for the Angels back in April. He'll work in middle relief.

Angels purchased the contract of RHP Marcus Gwyn from Triple-A Salt Lake.
The 29-year-old Gwyn will be making his major league debut after posting a 2.78 ERA in 37 relief appearances for Salt Lake. He'll be tried as a middle reliever.

Angels placed RHP Bartolo Colonon the 15-day disabled list with a sore right elbow.
The Angels have to be wondering what they'll get out of Colon over the rest of the season. With Ervin Santana unlikely to rejoin the mix just yet, perhaps the Angels will target a starting pitcher, rather than a hitter, in trade talks. Dustin Moseley figures to replace Colon for now.

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News from the 25th of July.

Kelvim Escobar gave up nine hits and three runs over seven innings Tuesday to fall to 11-4.
He struck out three and walked two as his ERA creeped up to 2.91. Escobar has been brilliant lately, this being the first time in four starts that he's given up more than one earned run.

Peter Bourjos went 2-for-4 with a grand slam and a walk Tuesday in his second game back for low Single-A Cedar Rapids.
Bourjos missed two months with a finger injury before rehabbing with the Rookie AZL Angels last week. The center fielder has hit .270/.342/.400 with 14 steals in 100 at-bats for Cedar Rapids this season.

Shea Hillenbrand, who has only been offered minor league contracts, is deciding between San Diego and another NL team.
The Braves, Marlins and Cardinals seem like reasonable candidates to be the other team in the mix.

Gary Matthews Jr. went 0-for-5 from the sixth spot in the Angels' lineup on Wednesday and is in an 0-for-17 slump.
Matthews is batting .194 with no homers or steals this month. The Angels love his defense, so he won't be benched. Still, he could keep sliding down in the lineup. Casey Kotchman hit fifth ahead of him today.

Francisco Rodriguez blew a three-run lead in the ninth inning Wednesday against the A's.
The Angels can point out that all three hits were cheap, but K-Rod was asking for it when he walked back-to-back batters in the frame. He ended up with the win in relief after the Angels scored in the bottom of the ninth, but he never should have put the team in the situation in which it had to score again.

Maicer Izturis singled in Casey Kotchman in the bottom of the ninth to give the Angels a 7-6 win over the A's on Wednesday.
Francisco Rodriguez gave up three runs in the top of the ninth to cost John Lackey a win, but the Angels still managed to avoid a home sweep, even with Vladimir Guerrero getting the day off. Kotchman singled off Joe Kennedy after Garret Anderson grounded out to begin the inning. He then advanced to second on a groundout and third on a passed ball before Izturis plated him to end the game.

The Dallas Morning News says the Rangers and Braves are "heavily involved" in talks that could result in a Mark Teixeira deal.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia looks like a lock to go in a Teixeira deal. The Braves might also willing to part with shortstop prospect Elvis Andrus and a pitcher -- probably either Kyle Davies or Matt Harrison -- if it gets them Teixeira and some relief help. Jo-Jo Reyes reportedly isn't on the table. The Dodgers are also very much in the mix, and the Angels are reportedly offering Casey Kotchman and either Terry Evans or Nathan Haynes for Teixeira. The Rangers would almost certainly want a better second player from the Angels. They're dreaming about getting local product Clayton Kershaw from the Dodgers, but that's a long shot. James Loney likely would go the other way in any deal with the Dodgers.

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News from the 26th of July.

MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan says the Angels and Braves are the front-runners for Mark Teixeira, with the Dodgers and Red Sox fading from the picture.
Sullivan has been covering the Rangers for nearly 20 years, so his sources are about as good as anyone's. He says the Rangers aren't willing to part with C.J. Wilson, who is on the Braves' wishlist. Ron Mahay isn't nearly as coveted, but Atlanta still could pick him up in a Teixeira deal, with Jarrod Saltalamacchia and more going the other way. The Angels are believed to be offering Casey Kotchman and more. The Rangers might be holding out for Ervin Santana as the second player.

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News from the 27th of July.

Dustin Moseley will make his first start since April in Sunday's game against the Tigers.
Kelvim Escobar and John Lackey both are being given an extra day's rest. Moseley, replacing Bartolo Colon, isn't a very good bet in AL-only leagues, especially against Detroit.

Mike Napoli left Friday's game in the first inning with an apparent right leg injury.
Napoli might have strained his hamstring trying to steal second base. If he lands back on the disabled list, the Angels would go with Jeff Mathis as their primary catcher, with Ryan Budde likely joining the team as a backup. However, there's a good chance they'd enter the market for catching help.

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News from the 28th of July.

Chone Figgins totaled four hits in five trips to the plate as the Angels defeated the Tigers 11-6 on Friday.
Figgins doubled twice and singled twice, driving in one and scoring twice in the process. Fractured fingers caused Figgins to miss most of April and he struggled after returning in May. However, Figgins is batting .418 since the start of June and is one of the game's hottest hitters right now. In addition to the strong outing from Figgins, Gary Matthews Jr. contributed with three hits and three RBI while Maicer Izturis added three RBI of his own.

Jered Weaver picked up a win despite yielding six runs in 5 1/3 innings versus the Tigers on Friday.
Weaver had given up 10 hits and five runs through five innings, but he departed after yielding a solo homer to Placido Polanco in the sixth. It was just the third time this season Weaver has yielded more than three runs in a start. He should have an easier time when he faces the Mariners next week.

The Angels have basically stopped their pursuit of trading for Mark Teixeira because the Rangers' asking price was too high.
The Rangers wanted three players in return. Casey Kotchman and Joe Saunders were offered and accepted, but the two teams couldn't agree on the third. Texas wanted Brandon Wood, Nick Adenhart, Howie Kendrick or Ervin Santana, but the Angels declined.

The Angels are listing Mike Napoli as day-to-day after he injured his right hamstring Friday.
Napoli could avoid the DL, but the Angels are still going to want another catcher around and likely will call up Ryan Budde over Bobby Wilson.

Ervin Santana gave up six runs and 11 hits over 6 1/3 innings Friday in his second start since being sent to Triple-A Salt Lake.
Santana pitched well his first time out, allowing one run and two hits over seven innings, so it looked like it could be a quick turnaround for him, what with Bartolo Colon going back on the DL. Last night's setback makes that a whole lot less likely.

Angels purchased the contract of catcher Ryan Budde from Triple-A Salt Lake.
Budde was taken by the Phillies in the Rule 5 draft last winter, stashed on the DL to start the year and then returned to the Angels in April. The 27-year-old will now make his major league debut after hitting .295/.367/.449 in 156 at-bats for Salt Lake. He'll play behind Jeff Mathis.

Angels placed catcher Mike Napoli on the 15-day disabled list with a right hamstring injury.
The Angels believe they win games with their aggressive baserunning, but they've also had a couple of losses end on caught stealings this year and now they're losing their starting catcher on an injury sustained on a stolen base. Jeff Mathis will start in his place, with Ryan Budde serving as the backup. The Angels could attempt to pick up a veteran.

In his first game since Mike Napoli was placed on the DL, Jeff Mathis went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI on Saturday.
He was 0-for-3 throwing out baserunners, but his bat made up for that today, as he raised his average to .200 in 25 at-bats. The Angels could go out and get themselves a veteran catcher to fill in for Mike Napoli, but they did want to take a look at Mathis, which is why they moved Jose Molina in the first place. Mathis has some short-term value in AL-only leagues.