The July 26th, 2012 edition of daily news for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim including x-rays on Pujols’ elbow came back negative, Santana to have his next start skipped, Zack Greinke holds the Angels in ‘high regard’ and might consider a contract extension and much more…
The Story: X-rays on Albert Pujols’ elbow came back negative and he is now listed as day-to-day.
The Monkey Says: Albert didn’t play yesterday but that might have just been to give him consecutive days off since the Halos don’t have a game today. This doesn’t sound like an Aybar “day-to-day” situation though as nobody was making veiled allusions to a potential DL stint.
The Story: Ervin Santana will have his next start skipped so he can work on some arm slot issues.
The Monkey Says: This is quite the interesting development as the Halos were adamant earlier about not skipping him. They are claiming this is to work on some arm slot issues that they believe are causing him to tip his pitches as well as make them less effective. This has the stench of excuse making though. In the piece the Angel coaches claim that his arm slot is causing his slider to lack velocity, which holds no water since Santana is actually throwing his slider over 0.5 MPH faster than the last three seasons. If they are telling the truth this could be promising though as it is the first time the Angels have claimed to pinpoint the source of Ervin’s struggles. The catch is this puts him on track to start against Texas in his next start, assuming this is just a stall tactic to hold Santana back in hopes that they can trade for a replacement before that start comes up.
The Story: Torii Hunter is more than just a veteran mentor.
The Monkey Says: Torii is definitely still useful, but his numbers are down for the third consecutive year. As great a teammate as he has been, it is no guarantee that he will be re-signed, especially considering that his numbers are only likely to get worse next season and he’s barely producing at a starter’s level right now.
The Monkey Says: I believe that is more speculation than actual insider information. Keep in mind that Greinke also recently said he has a hard time imagining no longer being a Brewer, this despite them supposedly offering him $100 million. So, in my opinion, he is acting more like a guy who wants to hit the open market.
The Story: Looking at the Angels trade needs leading up to the deadline.
The Monkey Says: This is totally generic, but it gives me an excuse to talk about the bullpen. The Halos have gotten better production than expected this season from their relievers, but things are starting to look shaky again. Frieri has become human again and Downs looks awful since the break. At a minimum, the Angels need a more reliable lefty to replace Takahashi, who is seldom used anymore, especially when the Angels have a lead. Another power right-hander isn’t out of the question either given that Kevin Jepsen is now being so heavily relied upon.
The Story: Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson are hosting separate charity events today.
The Monkey Says: CHARITY WAR!!!! Would you rather play golf with Albert or go bowling while C.J. lays down the beat on the ones and twos?
The Story: Ernesto Frieri will have an autograph session on Saturday.
The Monkey Says: I bet he could have charged double if he did this before he started giving up runs.
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