The March 3, 2016 edition of Los Angeles Angels news includes the team losing the first game of spring, their new starting shortstop dealing with (hopefully) minor arm trouble, and more…
The Story: Angels lose 4-1 to the Giants in Cactus League opener
MWAH Says: With the exception of Carlos Perez and Johnny Giavotella starting, the first game of spring was essentially a showcase for all the guys vying for the final spots on the Opening Day roster. All in all, it was pretty uninspiring. Cam Bedrosian started 2016 right where he left off last season, with a slow implosion on the mound, and the offense couldn’t manage a hit after the fifth inning. Meh.
The Story: Andrelton Simmons out a couple days with a ‘little arm issue’
MWAH Says: And by “out” I mean not starting at shortstop. Simmons is expected to DH either today or tomorrow and will get his first start at short on Saturday, so the arm trouble truly does appear to be minor. Probably just slept on it weird or something.
The Story: Andrelton Simmons insists he can get better, even on defense
MWAH Says: I can’t fathom how Simmons could conceivably be better than he is on defense, but I’m totally open to it. Pretty cool to learn that he watches video of other shortstops to learn new techniques and angles and whatnot. Would be pretty easy to be complacent when he’s so incredible already.
The Story: C.J. Wilson will rejoin the team on Friday
MWAH Says: Wilson has been away from the team the last few days for the birth of his daughter. He was dealing with shoulder tendinitis when he left, so it should be interesting to see where he’s at when he returns. The original plan was for him to start throwing again this week, but who knows where he’s at now.
The Story: C.J. Cron confident he’ll produce with playing time
MWAH Says: Cron seems to think that consistent ABs are the key to his success. The question is: How many at-bats in a month does he consider to be “consistent”? Last year he started 18 of the team’s first 23 games and hit just .239/.271/.343 in that span. Is that not consistent enough? Because surely he realizes they can’t just keep penciling him in every day if he’s again putting up Jeff Mathis numbers in May.
The Story: Shoemaker looks to regain splitter dominance
MWAH Says: Other than the dinger he surrendered on the second pitch yesterday, Shoemaker did a pretty good job with this in his first appearance of the spring. The Cobbler struck out three of the last four batters he faced, with at least one coming via the split.
The Story: Working the angles, Mahle gives hitters fits
MWAH Says: Normally, working from multiple arm angles will cause a pitcher to become rather erratic with his command and control. Not Mahle. The left-hander’s walk rate is consistently under 8 percent, and he says the two-arm-slot approach comes naturally. So long as it keeps working, no reason to stop.
The Story: Efren Navarro signs minor-league deal with the Mariners
MWAH Says: Dipoto snags yet another ex-Angel. Navarro spent his first few days of spring with the Orioles, but was waived late last week.
The Story: President Obama to attend Rays exhibition game in Cuba
MWAH Says: A cool gesture, but would feel much better about it if Obama spent his time there working on a plan with the Cuban government so that every kid coming out of Havana isn’t a victim of human trafficking.
The Story: MLB proposes easier path for Cuban players
MWAH Says: Hey, that’s a start! A special visa and a non-governmental body designed to protect young players would go a long way toward keeping these kids out of danger.
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