The July 6th, 2012 edition of daily news for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim including Haren lands on the disabled list, Frieri finished last in Final Vote balloting, a Hamels-for-Bourjos trade rumor and much more…
The Story: Dan Haren was placed on the DL with a stiff back and Kevin Jepsen was called up.
The Monkey Says: This is Haren’s first DL stint ever and he even admits part of the reason he masked the injury is because he was proud of never having been on the DL. The good news is that it does not appear to be serious and he could only miss two weeks, though it might be closer to three based on the way the Halos handled Weaver’s back injury. As for Jepsen, just yuck. Nobody is happy he was recalled, but they really didn’t have any other options, especially since it is just until they call up Brad Mills or Ariel Pena to start on Sunday.
The Story: Ernesto Frieri finished last in the AL Final Vote balloting.
The Monkey Says: I can’t say that I’m shocked. Angels fans have never been big on stuffing the ballot box and Frieri is completely unknown to casual fans. He still might make it as a replacement though.
The Monkey Says: Hamels is the kind of guy Bourjos could be moved for, but not without Hamels agreeing to an extension first, which is unlikely. Bourjos is too valuable to giveaway for just a rental, especially since the Phillies are believed to want a massive package for Hamels, meaning it would be Bourjos plus some quality prospects. No thank you.
The Story: Garrett Richards was demoted to Triple-A after last night’s game.
The Monkey Says: Don’t freak out, he will be back. Thanks to the All-Star break, the Angels can reset their rotation, meaning Richards’ spot in the rotation won’t come up again until the Monday or Tuesday after the break. Moving him to the minors allows the Halos to add another reliever to help out their overworked bullpen. Who that is has not yet been made known, though I fear that it will be Bobby Cassevah.
The Story: The Angels replaced the giant Vernon Wells banner at Angel Stadium with one of Mark Trumbo.
The Monkey Says: Wow, that is going to be awkward when Wells shows up at the stadium for the first time. I know it is based on marketing and all, but the metaphor will not be lossed on anyone.
The Story: Dan Haren’s back injury clearly affected his velocity.
The Monkey Says: That much is clear to most everyone, but what this article doesn’t delve into is Haren’s lessened command. His velocity didn’t drop off massively and lead to him getting shelled, it was the lost velocity coupled with his inablity to spot his fastball that really cost him. If you look at his pitch values, his splitter still rates as highly effective, but his four-seamer has been half as effective as last season while his cutter his been several times less effective.
The Story: The Angels signed ninth-round pick Michael Roth.
The Monkey Says: Roth had been their highest unsigned pick. He is something of a college legend, but he projects as more of a reliever or swingman. The Halos have just four unsigned picks now with the highest being 10th-rounder Chris O’Grady (though the Angels’ site shows Roth as unsigned and O’Grady as signed, which I believe to be an error).
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