- The Story: Mike Scioscia intends to keep Howie Kendrick batting second for the foreseeable future. The Monkey Says: Sosh like the move because it puts more potential runners on base for Abreu and Hunter, but I really like it because it makes the Angel line-up deeper in terms of having run producers since Rivera now bats seventh instead of having Howie awkwardly sandwiched between Rivera and Napoli. Now the pressure is on Abreu to start hitting better and taking advantage of the runners on base.
- The Story: Tony Reagins says the Angels don’t need a roster overhaul. The Monkey Says: I (mostly) agree with Reagins. So many guys are underperforming for the Angels that you have to believe they will get better and soon. That being said, at some point the team might have to look for upgrades at third base since Brandon Wood isn’t hitting and potentially in left field as well in order to upgrade their defense.
- The Story: Maicer Izturis took batting practice and declared himself ready. The Monkey Says: Izzy actually can’t come of the DL until the 21st, so let’s not get too excited just yet. However, I am quite eager for him to return. It seems pretty clear now that Brandon Wood isn’t going to turn his season around, so there is a very good chance Maicer will take over at third when he is activated from the DL, which would vastly improve the Angel line-up by getting Wood out of it and letting Maicer bat ninth to help set the table for the top of the order.
- The Story: How much more patience can the Angels have for Brandon Wood? The Monkey Says: I say not much more. He has had over 100 at-bats this year and still isn’t looking like he is going to breakout. The Angel line-up isn’t exactly a scoring machine and carrying a guy in it that is hitting below the Mendoza line just can’t be tolerated.
- The Story: The Angels miss Jeff Mathis’ defense. The Monkey Says: The whole catcher’s ERA argument might have made more since prior to Napoli coaxing some strong performance out of the staff over the weekend. Mathis is definitely a superior fielder to Napoli, but I still doubt his bat and really doubt that the Angels can afford to bench Napoli’s power when their offense is already pretty mediocre.
- The Story: Bobby Wilson has shown he is ready to return. The Monkey Says: Bobby has performed quite well in his rehab stint, demonstrating clearly that he is suffering no after effects from his collision with Mark Teixeira. It seems pretty likely that Wilson will be back with the big league roster as early as today.
- The Story: Mike Scioscia is confident in Hideki Matsui. The Monkey Says: Godzilla has been in a wicked slump but showed some signs of life over the weekend. A veteran of his stature definitely deserves some patience despite his struggles, though it certainly helps that the Halos don’t really have any other obvious options to replace Matsui at DH.
- The Story: Mickey Hatcher nearly painted himself to death back in his playing days. The Monkey Says: Ladies and gentlemen, your Angels’ hitting coach! With a genius like that guiding our batters, it is a wonder that anyone on the team can put the ball in play.
- The Story: Wood is trying a more aggressive approach. The Monkey Says: Wood, who constantly seems to be down in the count, is focusing on swinging early and often. I’m not sure that is a great idea, but really, anything is worth a shot for him at this point.
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