The July 24th, 2013 edition of daily news for the Los Angeles Angels including Blanton's rotation spot in jeopardy, Hamilton has 'no clue' how he hurt his ankle and much more…
The Story: Mike Scioscia wouldn't commit to giving Joe Blanton another start after the loss on Monday.
The Monkey Says: It sounds like they are giving Blanton the boot as well they should. It is possible that they just hold out until Jason Vargas comes back, but considering that Blanton essentially blamed his performance on not getting calls in the strike zone, it doesn't sound as if he is working to make adjustments to fix the problem. Odds are that Garrett Richards will be tabbed to take Blanton's spot for a few turns through the rotation.
The Story: Josh Hamilton is day-to-day with an ankle injury that he doesn't know the origins of.
The Monkey Says: "No clue," were his exact words when asked how he got hurt and has now missed two games. Just terrific.
The Story: Brendan Harris cleared waivers and elected to become a free agent.
The Monkey Says: Give me a moment to compose myself. I am racked with grief at his loss.
The Story: Michael Roth was sent down to Double-A to make room for Tommy Hanson on the active roster.
The Monkey Says: Why Roth got sent down and Billy Buckner, who hasn't pitched in two weeks, didn't is beyond me. It is a wasted roster spot at this point.
The Monkey Says: These are actually some of the more thoughtful comments from a player on the PED issue that I've seen ever since Ryan Braun got suspended. He seems to be pretty pragmatic about the problem and if his sentiments are shared by enough players, it could trigger some movement from the union to allow for stricter testing and/or harsher punishments.
The Story: Jim Bowden tweets that the Braves are pursuing Scott Downs, amongst others, on the trade market.
The Monkey Says: It is unclear if this is based on actual sources giving him info or if Bowden is just speculating on names. Aw, who am I kidding, Bowden doesn't know anything about anything.
The Story: Scott Downs would prefer to stay with the Angels rather than be traded.
The Monkey Says: Or not. His comments are all out of the cliché handbook for players who don't want to say anything that comes back to bite them should a trade not materialize.
The Story: Jason Vargas was able to throw a bullpen session yesterday.
The Monkey Says: The typical timetable is for Vargas to do this for about a week before going on a rehab assignment or two. That should mean he will return in two-to-three weeks. That puts him on track for a mid-August return where it will be very hard for him to show he is healthy and still have time to get traded.
The Story: The Angels think they know what is wrong with Joe Blanton, but he is not executing it.
The Monkey Says: That is pretty damning. If they give him another start, they are out of their minds.
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