OC Register: After difficult season, Parker Bridwell remains positive upon his return to Angels

[AngelsWin.com]

ANAHEIM — Parker Bridwell is clearly a glass-half-full kind of guy.

Upon returning to the Angels on Tuesday, after five months spent in the minors and dealing with injuries, he did not lament the missed opportunity to follow-up last year’s breakout.

“It’s just one of those things,” Bridwell said. “It’s life. It’s not going to be fun every day. I’m alive. I’ll come back and see how it goes.”

Bridwell added that he’s “happy with where I’m at right now. I couldn’t be happier to be back this season.”

When last we saw Bridwell in the majors, he was giving up six runs in 1-2/3 innings of a start against the Oakland A’s on April 6. He was returned to the minors, and then he developed some discomfort in his elbow.

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It wasn’t so much pain, but swelling that robbed him of his range of motion. He went on the disabled list twice, and the second time, in July, he had arthroscopic surgery to have bone chips removed.

Bridwell then rehabbed in Arizona and threw four simulated games. The Angels haven’t said when Bridwell will pitch, but it’s possible that he’ll work in Thursday’s bullpen game.

When asked if he sees this month as the chance to get himself back on the map – reclaiming the spot he held when he was a surprising 10-3 with a 3.64 ERA in 2017 – he said he’s just happy to be back pitching.

“I can’t do anything but go out and do what I know how to do, fill up the strike zone,” he said. “I feel like I don’t have anything to lose. That’s the way I go about it every day. It’s worked out for me in the past. I’ll see how it goes again.”

SCIOSCIA’S BOBBLEHEAD

The Angels announced an addition to the promotional schedule: Mike Scioscia bobbleheads, given to the first 30,000 fans on Sept. 29.

The news certainly feeds the notion that this will be the end of Scioscia’s tenure as Angels manager, although there’s still no official word.

Speaking about his bobblehead on Wednesday to reporters, including those representing Spanish and Japanese outlets, Scioscia quipped: “I’m going to try to say ‘ugly’ in three languages.”

The bobblehead includes Scioscia holding a lineup card filled with players he managed in his 19 years with the Angels. It has Mike Trout hitting leadoff, followed by Vladimir Guerrero (the DH), Garret Anderson, Tim Salmon, Troy Glaus, Bengie Molina, Andrelton Simmons and Howie Kendrick.

There is no pitcher, however. Pressed for his opinion of the best pitcher from his tenure, Scioscia waffled and then said: “We’re not doing any retrospectives.”

Join us on Saturday, September 29th for Fan Appreciation Day #AtTheBigA! The first 30,000 fans in attendance will receive a Mike Scioscia Bobblehead, courtesy of @FoxSportsWest: https://t.co/5C1e1HxKRR. pic.twitter.com/1G5smYIuer

— Angels (@Angels) September 12, 2018

ALSO

The Angels are having a bullpen game on Thursday, which allows them to give an extra day of rest to Matt Shoemaker and Andrew Heaney, who will pitch on Friday and Saturday, respectively. …

When the Angels came five outs away from a no-hitter in a bullpen game on Tuesday night, it brought back memories of their only combined no-hitter, pitched by Mark Langston and Mike Witt in 1990. Langston, who threw the first seven innings, said “it was a bizarre scenario” and it felt “almost like a glorified spring training game.” The game was in April, just after a spring training that was shortened because of the lockout, so Langston wasn’t stretched out enough to go nine innings.

UP NEXT

Angels (TBA) vs. Mariners (RHP Mike Leake, 9-9, 4.11), Thursday, 7 p.m., Thursday, Fox Sports West, KLAA (830 AM)

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