OC Register: Matt Shoemaker tosses five scoreless innings in return to Angels rotation

[AngelsWin.com]

ARLINGTON, Texas — Matt Shoemaker’s return to the mound was a resounding success.

After spending five months on the disabled list, Shoemaker pitched five scoreless innings in the Angels 3-1 victory over against the Texas Rangers on Monday night.

He didn’t get the victory because he was out of the game before Taylor Ward put the Angels on the board in the seventh with a two-run homer, his third in three weeks as a major leaguer.

Shoemaker was likely on a limit of 65 to 70 pitches, but he pitched efficiently enough to get 15 outs on just 62 pitches.

He gave up two hits, including an infield hit, and he walked one. Shoemaker gave up both hits in a 20-pitch first inning, which he escaped by striking out Adrian Beltre with two runners on. After that, he faced the minimum 12 hitters in the next four innings.

It is the kind of performance that can help Shoemaker use this final month of the season to reclaim his spot, not just in the consciousness of the fans, but in the eyes of the front office.

In 2014, Shoemaker finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting, posting a 16-4 record and a 3.04 ERA. Manager Mike Scioscia said repeatedly late in that season — the last time the Angels made the playoffs — that Shoemaker had helped save their season.

As he prepared for Monday’s return to the mound, he said he still feels he can be that pitcher.

“I always feel that way,” he said. “Mentally and physically, I feel that way. Mentally I’m there. Physically I’m there. I feel like I’m there. I just have to go out and put those things together.”

Ever since 2014, though, Shoemaker has battled inconsistency and injury. He struggled in 2015 and began poorly in 2016, but he was on a roll at the end of the season, when he was hit in the head by a line drive and suffered injuries that required surgery.

Then the last two years have been spoiled by this forearm issue. He had surgery to release compression on his radial nerve in 2017. The symptoms returned one start into this season, and further exploratory surgery in May finally revealed a split pronator tendon, which Shoemaker believes was the actual issue all along.

“Frustrating is the best way to describe it,” he said.

If Shoemaker can return to form, or at least be a healthy pitcher capable of soaking up innings, he could be a valuable addition to a rotation that’s been ravaged by injuries.

Shoemaker fits somewhere in a 2019 depth chart that currently includes Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Skaggs, Andrew Heaney, Jaime Barría, Felix Peña and Nick Tropeano. JC Ramírez could be back from Tommy John surgery sometime in the second half, and Griffin Canning and José Suarez could also be up from the minors sometime next year.

Shoemaker, who turns 27 this month, is arbitration-eligible for the next three seasons.

When he left Monday’s game, it was still scoreless. Ward’s homer in the seventh gave the Angels a lead, and David Fletcher added an RBI single later in the inning.

Justin Anderson got the bullpen’s biggest out, striking out Ronald Guzmán to leave the bases loaded in the seventh.

More to come on this story.

View the full article