The April 12, 2016 edition of Los Angeles Angels news includes Greg Mahle getting the call to Anaheim for the first time, Andrew Heaney working on building strength in his forearm, and more…
The Story: Greg Mahle called up from Triple-A; A.J. Achter optioned
MWAH Says: Mahle didn’t get into the game Monday night, but he did warm up briefly. He’ll make his debut soon, but it’s tough to know whether his stint with the team will be a long one or not. It’s clear that Achter was brought up to temporarily spell a bullpen that’d been overworked in the first four games, but whether Bedrosian will stay down in Triple-A when his required 10 post-option days pass remains to be seen. FWIW, I hope Mahle pitches well and the Angels don’t have to mess with the bullpen any further.
The Story: Andrew Heaney hopes to test flexor strain soon
MWAH Says: There’s still no timetable for when that actual testing will be, but Heaney seems encouraged with his progress so far. The speculation is he’s still at least a week away from playing catch.
The Story: Older hitters are declining, but not because they can’t handle the heat
MWAH Says: One of the popular hypotheses for why older players are declining quicker now than they did a decade ago was that they couldn’t handle the increased velocity across the league. Ben Lindbergh and Rob Arthur put the kibosh on this one, demonstrating that older guys (like Albert Pujols) do just as well against high heat as anyone else.
The Story: With Aybar struggling, Braves are mulling other options at short
MWAH Says: Not even a week in and Atlanta is already looking for a way to replace Erick Aybar. He was never thought of as a long-term solution for the Braves, but I’m sure they were hoping he’d be adequate for at least a year. I guess anyone would look atrocious after watching Andrelton Simmons for four years.
The Story: Matt Joyce and David Freese are No. 3 hitters for the Pirates
MWAH Says: Either Joyce or Freese has batted third in each of Pittsburgh’s first eight games. Joyce has even hit leadoff a couple times. I don’t get it either, but somehow it’s working.
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