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  1. Hello LT555,

    Welcome to AngelsWin.com. Please feel free to browse around and get to know the others.

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  2. THE GAME: The Angels lost, 4-3, to the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday in Phoenix, dropping their sixth consecutive Cactus League game. PITCHING REPORT: Right-hander Griffin Canning gave up two runs in 4⅓ innings. He worked around six hits, striking out two and walking one. One run scored when Christian Yelich hit a chopper over the head of first baseman Miguel Sanó, who was holding a runner at first. It went for a double. The other run came on a long homer by Yelich. … Right-hander Hunter Strickland allowed a two-run homer to Willie Adames, snapping a tie in the fifth. The homer came on an 0-and-2 pitch. Strickland, who is competing for a bullpen spot, has been among the Angels’ best pitchers this spring at throwing strikes, with 10 strikeouts and no walks in eight innings. … Right-hander Ben Joyce pitched a scoreless inning, hitting 102 mph with his fastball. He also walked two. Joyce has walked nine in 7⅓ innings. … Right-hander Carlos Estévez pitched a perfect inning, striking out two. HITTING REPORT: Mickey Moniak lined a routine single into right field, but the ball skipped past outfielder Jackson Chourio and Moniak got to third. Moniak was at third with no outs, but the Angels couldn’t drive him in. Jo Adell struck out. Zach Neto hit a flyout, after fouling off a bunt. Matt Thaiss then hit a flyout. … Sanó drew two more walks. Although Sanó is 6 for 35 (.171) this spring, he’s drawn six walks and hit three home runs, so his OPS is .739. … Livan Soto pushed home a run with a suicide squeeze, tying the score in the fourth inning. Manager Ron Washington said he would begin using more of that kind of situational hitting for the final week of games in Arizona. Related Articles Los Angeles Angels | Angels’ Taylor Ward is prepared for pitchers to work him up and in after last year’s incident Los Angeles Angels | Angels’ hitters come up empty in loss to Diamondbacks Los Angeles Angels | Hunter Strickland’s control boosts his chances to win a spot in Angels’ bullpen Los Angeles Angels | Dodgers blow out Angels in prospect showcase game Los Angeles Angels | Taylor Ward homers in Angels’ Cactus League loss to Cubs DEFENSE REPORT: Canning slipped and fell to his back when trying to field a bunt between third base and the mound. Canning smiled as he was getting up. … Moniak made a sliding catch on a line drive hit in front of him in center field. … Thaiss, the catcher, threw out a runner trying to steal. The Angels have thrown out 36.7% of would-be base stealers this spring, the third-best rate in the majors. UP NEXT: Angels (LHP Reid Detmers) vs. Reds (RHP Hunter Greene) at Tempe Diablo Stadium, Tuesday, 1:10 p.m. PT, Bally Sports West, 830 AM View the full article
  3. TEMPE, Ariz. — Earlier this spring, Taylor Ward was at the plate when a fastball came at him, up and in. He moved out of the way without incident. The next pitch was also up and in. He admitted that he “couldn’t get back in the right mindset after that,” and he eventually struck out on a slider over the middle. “That at-bat made me wonder,” Ward said. “What are we doing here? I learned from that moment. That’s what I have to get used to.” Ward missed the last two months of last season recovering from facial fractures suffered when he was hit in the face by a pitch. He hadn’t seen any live pitching in the six months between that incident and the start of spring training. Ward said at the beginning of camp that he expected to be fine, but he needed games to truly understand if there would be any residual impact of the injury. A month later, Ward said that particular at-bat convinced him that he needs to be prepared for teams to try to take advantage of his situation by pitching him that way. “Just accepting that it’s going to happen and not letting it affect me is the biggest thing I took away from that,” Ward said. He has been wearing an extra protective piece on his helmet all spring. “If I would have had that last year, it would have changed everything,” Ward said. “Having that gives me confidence that if it does happen again, it’s going to be OK.” Although Ward said he’s expecting pitches up and in, and he seems to be at peace with it, manager Ron Washington isn’t going to be so tolerant. “I don’t think we have enough pitchers in the game that can control up and in,” Washington said. “They don’t have any business going up and in there. … They better not be doing that, because that will send a signal that we’re going to do it to them. Let them see how it feels. If a pitch gets away and gets up and in, fine. If you try to throw the ball in, not up and in, that’s different. You come in the chest area, that’s good. But when you go up at the head, that’s up. He’s done nothing to no one to go up and in.” The prospect of facing pitchers looking to make him uncomfortable is just another element added to Ward’s challenge of once again becoming the hitter he has shown he can be. He started and finished 2022 on a tear, and he had gotten hot just a couple weeks before he was injured in 2023. Ward said this spring he has his swing “doing what I want it to do,” and he’s especially encouraged by the way he’s using the whole field. On Saturday, he hit a fly ball to the warning track in right, and then hit a homer to left. “Whenever I’m going to the opposite field and driving the ball that way, that’s a really good sign for me,” he said. “That’s something I didn’t do much last year until the last few weeks before I got hurt.” BACHMAN UPDATE Right-hander Sam Bachman, who had shoulder surgery last fall and will start the season on the injured list, said he’s “feeling good.” Bachman said he’s thrown five bullpen sessions, getting up to about 30 pitches. He added his changeup in the last session, and expects to add his slider next time. Bachman said he’s expecting to throw live batting practice “soon.” There is no timetable for him to pitch in the games. The Angels want him as a starter, so they are preserving his innings by pushing his season debut back. “Just want to make sure these prerequisite steps are met because I want to be healthy all season,” Bachman said. “Don’t want to push anything.” Related Articles Los Angeles Angels | Angels’ hitters come up empty in loss to Diamondbacks Los Angeles Angels | Hunter Strickland’s control boosts his chances to win a spot in Angels’ bullpen Los Angeles Angels | Dodgers blow out Angels in prospect showcase game Los Angeles Angels | Taylor Ward homers in Angels’ Cactus League loss to Cubs Los Angeles Angels | Ron Washington has Angels tearing up the basepaths NOTES Right-hander Robert Stephenson played catch at a distance of 90 feet on Monday. Stephenson has been bothered by shoulder soreness throughout the spring, preventing him from pitching in a game. He is expected to begin the season on the injured list. … First baseman Nolan Schanuel was scratched from the lineup for Monday’s game because of back tightness. … The Angels have not decided if José Soriano will continue to start or move back to the bullpen. He is scheduled to start in a minor league game on Thursday, which is an off day on the major league schedule. Washington said the Angels simply want to keep Soriano stretched out to retain all their options. View the full article
  4. THE GAME: The Angels managed just seven hits and hit into double plays to end three straight innings in a 2-0 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, Ariz. PITCHING REPORT: Left-hander Patrick Sandoval gave up one run in 4-1/3 innings, his best outing of the spring. Sandoval struck out five and walked two, throwing 77 pitches. The only run he allowed came after he gave up an infield hit with two outs and a runner at third. Sandoval escaped a first-and-third jam by getting a double play grounder in the second inning. “It felt good,” Sandoval said. “The offspeed is still getting there, but a lot of positive signs.”… Right-hander Adam Cimber pitched a scoreless inning. Cimber has not allowed a run in five innings this spring. HITTING REPORT: Mike Trout was 1 for 3 with two strikeouts. Trout is 8 for 35 (.229) with 16 strikeouts and two walks this spring. … Anthony Rendon was also 1 for 3. He is 4 for 18 (.222) with four walks this spring. … Two of the Angels’ hits came in the sixth inning, singles by Logan O’Hoppe and Luis Rengifo. Nolan Schanuel then bounced into a double play. … In the seventh, Trout and Rendon each singled, but Taylor Ward then hit a flyout to right and Brandon Drury hit into a double play. … In the eighth, Zach Neto hit a line drive to first base, which became another inning-ending double play. DEFENSE REPORT: Trout leapt at the center field fence but couldn’t come down with a drive by Alek Thomas, who ended up with a triple. Trout hit the wall hard, but remained in the game. … The Angels escaped a jam in the second inning with a non-traditional double play. Third baseman Luis Rengifo fielded a grounder and then threw to second, with shortstop Zach Neto covering because second baseman Brandon Drury was playing in the hole. Neto caught the throw, then leapt to get out of the way of the runner as he threw to first. … Left-hander Matt Moore made an errant pickoff throw to first, leading to an unearned run. He escaped the inning with a behind-the-back snag of a comebacker. UP NEXT: Angels (RHP Griffin Canning) at Brewers (RHP DL Hall) at American Family Fields, Maryvale, Monday, 1:10 p.m. PT, Bally Sports West, 830 AM. Related Articles Los Angeles Angels | Hunter Strickland’s control boosts his chances to win a spot in Angels’ bullpen Los Angeles Angels | Dodgers blow out Angels in prospect showcase game Los Angeles Angels | Taylor Ward homers in Angels’ Cactus League loss to Cubs Los Angeles Angels | Ron Washington has Angels tearing up the basepaths Los Angeles Angels | Angels reliever Robert Stephenson questionable for Opening Day View the full article
  5. TEMPE, Ariz. — Hunter Strickland emerged from his brief “retirement” to put himself in a solid position to resume his big league career. Strickland, a 35-year-old right-hander who didn’t pitch in the majors last season, has not allowed a run in 7-1/3 innings with the Angels this spring. Perhaps more significantly, he has not issued a walk, while striking out nine. “He’s been pounding the strike zone,” manager Ron Washington said. “That’s exactly what we’ve been talking about, what we want everybody else to do.” Strike-throwing has been such an emphasis in camp that the Angels have been posting a sheet listing the all the pitchers’ strike-throwing performance on the first pitch and on 1-and-1 counts. As of the last update, Strickland had thrown a first-pitch strike 88% of the time and he was at 100% on 1-1 pitches. Washington stopped short of saying that the numbers gave Strickland a leg up on winning a spot in the Angels’ opening day bullpen. “He’s been having a good spring,” Washington said. “We’ll see how it shakes out when we start to make a decision.” The Angels appear to have six of the eight bullpen spots locked, with right-handed closer Carlos Estévez at the top. Right-handers Luis Garcia, Adam Cimber and José Cisnero, and left-handers Matt Moore and José Suarez are all safely on the roster. Right-hander Robert Stephenson’s shoulder injury has likely opened up another spot. That could go to right-hander José Soriano, who has been working as a starter but could easily drop back to the bullpen if that’s what the Angels decide. After that, though, Strickland is one of four candidates for the final one or two spots. He’s joined by right-handers Guillo Zuñiga and Ben Joyce and left-hander Drew Pomeranz. Strickland and Pomeranz are both in camp on minor league deals, while Zuñiga and Joyce are already on the 40-man roster. Although there’s more to the decision than spring training numbers, statistically none of the four has performed better than Strickland. “I feel great,” Strickland said on Sunday. I feel incredible. I think last year was a blessing, to be honest. I went home and it was a really good reset for me. I thought I was done playing. I made peace with it. But there was still a little fire burning in there. We put in the work and here we are.” Strickland first reached the big leagues with the San Francisco Giants in 2014, pitching in October to help the Giants to a World Series title. He had a 2.91 ERA over parts of five seasons with the Giants before beginning a nomadic journey around the big leagues. From 2019-22, Strickland pitched for seven teams in the majors, including a forgettable nine-game stint with the Angels in 2021. The Cincinnati Reds sent him to Triple-A to start the 2023 season, and he was released after 11 innings. No one else picked up Strickland, so he was at home with his family, pondering the end of his career. After he decided he wanted to keep playing, the Angels gave him a shot. Now, Strickland has seen enough not to count on anything regarding his position on the roster. “I knew coming into it this was a tough bullpen to break,” he said. “There’s a lot of talent here that’s already got their foot in. I think healthy competition is a good thing. I’m just coming in here, day to day, taking it one at a time and see how it plays out.” STEPHENSON UPDATE Stephenson said Sunday that his shoulder isn’t feeling better yet, although he remains hopeful that it’s not a major injury. “Unfortunately it’s still more of the same,” he said. “It’s frustrating. It’s just been kind of nagging for a lot longer than anybody wanted for the majority of the spring.” Stephenson said an MRI showed just some inflammation and an impingement. “Nothing serious anyone was overly concerned about,” he said. A week ago, Stephenson said he was feeling better, and he was holding out hope of being ready for Opening Day. “It would feel good for a couple days and then I’d jump back on the mound and we’d kind of go back a little bit,” he said. “Every time I felt I was making progress, we’d go backwards a little bit.” The Angels signed Stephenson to a three-year, $33-million contract — the largest deal they gave to anyone this winter — but he now seems certain to start the year on the injured list. “My main focus is once I get back out there, I want to be there for the rest of the year, rather than trying to rush through something and I end up getting hurt again,” he said. NOTES Right-hander Griffin Canning is scheduled to start on Monday and again on Saturday, which is exactly five days before the March 28 opener in Baltimore. Washington conceded that the calendar “looks like” Canning will be the Opening Day starter, but he said they still “haven’t made that decision yet.” Major League Baseball discourages teams from officially announcing their Opening Day starter before the league-wide “reveal.” … Infielder Michael Stefanic (quad) was set to run the bases at about 85%, he said. Stefanic said he believes he can be playing in games within a week. Even though Stefanic estimated he’s gotten at least 25 at-bats worth of work in live batting practice, Washington said he doesn’t have enough time to be ready for Opening Day. View the full article
  6. TEMPE, Ariz. — The Dodgers, who have boasted a more highly regarded farm system than the Angels for more than a decade, have bragging rights after the inaugural Spring Breakout matchup. A team of Dodgers prospects beat a team of Angels prospects, 8-1, on Saturday at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Thayron Liranzo, a 20-year-old catcher who was playing first base, belted a two-run homer as part of a four-run second inning. Liranzo is ranked as the Dodgers’ 12th best prospect by Baseball America. A switch-hitter, Liranzo was hitting from the left side when he blasted the homer to right. The game was part of a series in which Major League Baseball pitted prospect teams against one another. Players who are already on 40-man rosters could opt out of playing in the game. Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel, for example, is technically their top prospect because he maintains rookie eligibility. He’s been playing in big league spring training games because he’s slated to be the Angels everyday first baseman. Dodgers catcher Daulton Rushing, who is rated by Baseball America as their No. 1 prospect, did play in the game, batting third. Rushing singled, walked and struck out in three trips to the plate. The Dodgers used two other players ranked by Baseball America in the organization’s top 10: outfielder Josue De Paula (No. 5) and left-hander Jackson Ferris (No. 9). De Paula had two hits and two RBIs. Center fielder Kendall George (No. 14) had a double and a triple. As for the Angels, even though Schanuel didn’t play, they still used five of their top 10 prospects: outfielder Nelson Rada (No. 2), right-hander Caden Dana (No. 3), infielder Kyren Paris (No. 5), right-hander Jack Kochanowicz (No. 9) and shortstop Denzer Guzman (No. 10). Related Articles Los Angeles Dodgers | Alexander: This is the Dodgers’ year … or else Los Angeles Dodgers | Dodgers bring their star power – topped by Shohei Ohtani – to Seoul Series Los Angeles Dodgers | Dodgers reveal travel roster for South Korea games Los Angeles Dodgers | Dodgers depart for South Korea and opportunity to expand the brand Los Angeles Dodgers | 2024 Dodgers preview: Expectations, Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto Dana started on the mound for the Angels and worked two scoreless innings, striking out three. Dana, a 20-year-old who was taken in the 2022 draft, was already in big league camp, so pitching in front of a crowd at Tempe Diablo Stadium was nothing new. “I definitely treated it the same (as a big league exhibition game),” Dana said. “It’s definitely just as important. I think it was just cool, going against the prospects of another team.” Dana fared better than Kochanowicz, who followed him to the mound. The Dodgers scored six runs against Kochanowicz in 1-2/3 innings. Rada was 1 for 3 with a stolen base. Paris was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts. Guzman was 0 for 4 with a two strikeouts. View the full article
  7. Hello danielb26,

    Welcome to AngelsWin.com. Please feel free to browse around and get to know the others.

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  8. Hello mrplow10,

    Welcome to AngelsWin.com. Please feel free to browse around and get to know the others.

    To kick things off, introduce yourself to the community of Angels fans here: 

     

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  9. THE GAME: The Angels returned to action following the previous day’s rainout, losing 4-3 to the Chicago Cubs in a Cactus League game Saturday in Tempe, Ariz. PITCHING REPORT: Right-hander José Soriano gave up three runs in 3 1/3 innings, two on a long homer from Christopher Morel. Soriano has been getting work as a starter this spring, but it’s still possible the Angels drop back into the bullpen if reliever Robert Stephenson starts on the injured list, which is increasingly likely. … Right-hander Guillo Zuñiga worked a scoreless inning. … Right-hander Ben Joyce pitched a scoreless inning, allowing one hit but then inducing a double play. … Right-hander Hunter Strickland struck out the side in one inning of work. Strickland has nine strikeouts and no walks in 7 1/3 innings this spring, allowing one run. HITTING REPORT: Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer, his first of the spring. … Mike Trout doubled down the left-field line. He also reached on an error. Trout has 7 hits in his last 22 at-bats after starting the spring with an 0 for 10. Trout also stole his first base of the spring. … The Angels scored a run in the bottom of the ninth and had the tying run at third when the game ended. Related Articles Los Angeles Angels | Ron Washington has the Angels tearing up the basepaths Los Angeles Angels | Angels reliever Robert Stephenson questionable for Opening Day Los Angeles Angels | With key regulars staying home, Angels fall to White Sox on road Los Angeles Angels | Aaron Hicks trying to work his way into everyday role with the Angels Los Angeles Angels | Miguel Sanó homers again in Angels’ loss to Royals DEFENSE REPORT: First baseman Brandon Drury hung with a ground ball that took a wicked hop in the first inning. It was the second time this spring that Drury has started a game at first, with the others at second. … Second baseman Luis Rengifo made a bad throw after fielding a routine grounder. The ball went into the dugout, so it was a two-base error. Rengifo also couldn’t knock down a hard-hit ball to his backhand side up the middle. It was scored a hit. … Trout tracked down a fly ball deep into the gap in left-center… A fly ball dropped between Trout and right fielder Aaron Hicks. UP NEXT: Angels (LHP Patrick Sandoval) at Diamondbacks (RHP Zac Gallen) at Salt River Fields, 1:10 p.m. PT Sunday, Bally Sports West, 830 AM. View the full article
  10. TEMPE, Ariz. — One of the axioms of baseball is to never make the third out at third base. The logic, of course, is that the reward of an extra 90 feet isn’t worth the risk of ending the inning. However, Jo Adell has stolen third with two outs twice this spring. Both times led to runs because of defensive mistakes. Those two plays are the perfect encapsulation of the attitude that new manager Ron Washington has brought to the Angels. Being aggressive on the bases is not merely lip service. The Angels are pushing the envelope to the point of tearing it this spring. Which is the point. “We’re trying to create an atmosphere where you can push the limits and see where you can go in spring training,” said third base-coach Eric Young, who came from Atlanta with Washington. “That’s what we’re finding out. Guys are finding out for themselves what they can and can’t do.” Outfielder Mickey Moniak used a common investment philosophy to summarize the Angels’ strategy. “Scared money don’t make money,” Moniak said. “If you don’t try it, you’re not gonna know if you can do it. If you don’t have the confidence you’re going to be able to do it, it’s going to hinder you a little bit. We know that’s going to be a huge part of our game going forward this season.” The Angels have stolen 33 bases this spring, which is the most in the majors. They’ve also been caught stealing 12 times, which is tied for the second most. Beyond that, they’ve been pushing players to take extra bases whenever possible. Earlier this week, even catcher Caleb Hamilton went from first to third on a single to right. Washington admitted he was saying “no, no, no” until Hamilton was safe. “You don’t usually see big catchers doing that,” Washington said. “They’ve taken to it. Everybody else has no choice.” Catchers Logan O’Hoppe and Matt Thaiss have each stolen a base, as has slow-footed first baseman Nolan Schanuel, third baseman Anthony Rendon and DH Miguel Sanó. More speedy players, like Moniak, Adell and Jake Marisnick, are thrilled with Washington’s philosophy. “I love it,” said Marisnick, a non-roster invitee. “That’s how I play. I’ve seen it first hand, as an outfielder, if you know a team is aggressive that speeds things up in the outfield. That’s when you get bad throws. That’s when bad stuff happens for the team you’re being aggressive against. I love it. You’re seeing a lot of it in spring training.” Adell, who is second to Mike Trout in sprint speed among players who are likely to be on the Angels’ Opening Day roster, said Washington, Young and first-base coach Bo Porter have all been pushing the style of baserunning. “If you put pressure on a team, you make them play faster,” Adell said. “Our goal is to continue to put that level of pressure on them and make them make plays. That’s what we’re going to do.” Adell, however, said that there is a line. “It’s not just free running,” Adell said. “We want to run in the right situations … We’re going to be aggressive and smart.” Adell flirted with that line on his two steals of third. Once, Chicago Cubs right-hander Carl Edwards Jr. was paying so little attention to Adell that he got a huge running start to third. Edwards didn’t even deliver the ball to the plate. By the time Edwards noticed Adell going, his throw to third was too late. The next hitter reached on an error, allowing Adell to score. Earlier this week, Adell took off for third and Texas Rangers catcher Andrew Knizer made a bad throw. Adell scampered home as the ball bounced into the outfield. “We certainly are very pleased with it producing runs, but we want them to understand that you’ve just got to make certain when you do that, with two outs, you have to make it,” Washington said. “You’ve got no excuse if you don’t make it.” Young said learning how to play aggressively is part of spring training. “We want to be aggressive, but when the season starts you’ve gotta be smart aggressive,” Young said. “Sometimes you just can’t go. I think Wash will bring back the reins a little bit. But as far as (Adell) having the attitude, which is what we want to create, and pushing the envelope, he’s definitely following the model that we’ve established from spring training. In the season, we’ll talk about situations when you should and shouldn’t go.” NOTES Right-hander Chase Silseth had been scheduled to start in Saturday’s Cactus League game, but when Friday’s game was rained out, the Angels decided to move right-hander José Soriano into Saturday’s start and have Silseth pitch in a minor-league game. Washington said the Angels wanted to see Soriano against big-league hitters. … Related Articles Los Angeles Angels | Angels reliever Robert Stephenson questionable for Opening Day Los Angeles Angels | With key regulars staying home, Angels fall to White Sox on road Los Angeles Angels | Aaron Hicks trying to work his way into everyday role with the Angels Los Angeles Angels | Miguel Sanó homers again in Angels’ loss to Royals Los Angeles Angels | Angels’ Jordyn Adams: ‘I probably wasn’t ready’ for big-league debut Starting Sunday, the Angels are going to put more emphasis on certain game situations to prepare for the regular season, Washington said. “I’m going to start putting on more signs, start trying to execute things,” Washington said. “You might all of the sudden see more hit and runs. You might start seeing more squeezes.” … Brandon Drury and Zach Neto were in Saturday’s lineup after being out with illnesses. Neto had been scheduled to play Friday before the game was canceled. View the full article
  11. Hello nujack95,

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  12. Hello erico,

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  13. Hello Denise Weldon,

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  14. TEMPE, Ariz. — Robert Stephenson might not be ready to start the season after all. Stephenson, who hasn’t pitched in a game this spring because of shoulder soreness, is still feeling enough discomfort that manager Ron Washington conceded Friday morning the right-hander may run out of time to be available by the March 28 opener. Washington said the Angels already performed testing on Stephenson to assess the seriousness of the injury. “We’ve done all that stuff,” Washington said. “Now it’s just a matter of getting through the discomfort. He understands what the issue is. I think he’s got a better grasp of some stuff he’s just going to have to deal with. It will get better in the distance, but before that he was unsure. “The kid was scared. He never had that kind of discomfort before, but it’s nothing major. Now he knows that and we’ll progress a little quicker, but I don’t know if it will be quick enough for him to open the season.” Stephenson, who signed a three-year, $33-million deal with the Angels in January, was briefly shut down because of the shoulder problem early in the spring. He resumed throwing and progressed to full bullpen sessions, including all of his pitches. As recently as Monday, Stephenson said he was “feeling pretty good,” and “moving in the right direction.” He said he “the plan still is to be ready for Opening Day.” That would require Stephenson to get to live batting practice and then pitch at least a few times in games. Stephenson, 31, was penciled in to be one of the Angels’ high leverage relievers, most likely working as the primary setup man for closer Carlos Estévez. The Angels signed him on the heels of a strong finish last season with the Tampa Bay Rays. Stephenson, who tweaked his slider after a June trade from the Pittsburgh Pirates, posted a 2.35 ERA with 60 strikeouts and eight walks in 38 1/3 innings with the Rays. His contract includes an unusual clause that allows the Angels to add a team option if Stephenson misses time with a major elbow injury. That would not apply to a shoulder injury, though. Although the Angels at this time don’t seem to be concerned that Stephenson has anything major, they are now considering whether they want to move right-hander José Soriano back to the bullpen. Soriano posted a 3.64 ERA in 42 innings of relief with the Angels last season, but the Angels believe the 25-year-old still has a chance to be a quality starting pitcher, as he was before undergoing Tommy John surgery. Soriano is scheduled to start Friday afternoon against the Seattle Mariners. It would be his second start in a major-league exhibition, plus one in a B game. “First, you take care of need, and then you can start thinking long term,” Washington said. “We decided we wanted to try to see if Soriano can start, and so far he has proven to us that he possibly can. Now, Stephenson down that means we’ve got a void in the bullpen. Now we’re going to make a decision on our need right there. Long term would be Soriano being a starter. But if we can’t fill that void in the bullpen, Soriano has done it before. We’ve got an option.” The Angels have four other relievers left in camp to fight for a bullpen spot: right-handers Ben Joyce, Guillo Zuñiga and Hunter Strickland and left-hander Drew Pomeranz. If Stephenson isn’t ready, the choices are to put Soriano back in the bullpen and keep one of those pitchers, or leave Soriano as a rotation option – probably in the minors – and keep two of those relievers in the majors. Related Articles Los Angeles Angels | With key regulars staying home, Angels fall to White Sox on road Los Angeles Angels | Aaron Hicks trying to work his way into everyday role with the Angels Los Angeles Angels | Miguel Sanó homers again in Angels’ loss to Royals Los Angeles Angels | Angels’ Jordyn Adams: ‘I probably wasn’t ready’ for big-league debut Los Angeles Angels | Angels spring training Q&A NOTES Second baseman Brandon Drury returned to camp for a workout after being out with an illness for a few days. Drury was not in the lineup, but he might play Saturday. … Shortstop Zach Neto, who had also been out with an illness, returned to the lineup Friday. Neto had come back to the facility for a workout Thursday. … The Angels’ spring breakout prospect game is scheduled to be played at 4 p.m. Saturday, after the main exhibition game against the Chicago Cubs. The Angels prospects will play a team of Dodgers prospects in the late game. Right-hander Caden Dana is scheduled to start for the Angels. Although most of the spring breakout games are scheduled for seven innings, the Angels-Dodgers game will be nine innings. View the full article
  15. -by Ryan Falla It appears fortunes are changing in Anaheim. Where once was an organization laid bare of any internal development is now an Angels future full of the most young promise they've had since their glory days of fifteen years past. Whereas that legacy run was fueled by homegrown talents so too does this window look to be forced open by the quality of youth across the organization. This years Spring Training has offered a glimpse into the star studded future of 2025 and beyond with certain showcased talents making their names present such as Nelson Rada and Caden Dana among others. Among those hopeful cornerstones is the Angels switch hitting third base prospect Cole Fontenelle, coming into the organization as a 7th round pick in the 2023 draft. Cole Fontenelle is a true student of the game who’s diligence in studying the necessities in detail has fueled his meteoric rise to the Angels from TCUs resident super-clutch batsman. Not only is his mental in a league of its own, his physical tools across the board rate strongly for an organization readily searching for their third baseman of the future. Fontenelle brings with him a raw power often tapped into during the most critical of situations, an understanding of the strike zone that allows his power stroke the successes it saw in college, and most importantly a desire to absorb every analytic angle as if his future hung in the balance. As preparation and execution meet success so too does Cole Fontenelle breathe life onto the field with his attention to the game. “I honestly didn't have a high expectation to be in big league camp at all this Spring. I got the call from Perry saying ‘You're gonna be in big league camp’, he just told me you deserve this and to go there, do what you do and soak up as much information as possible. I've been learning as much as I can from everybody; really studying how people work, seeing their routines, seeing a lot of the pre-work and post-game work they do. Absorbing everything I can.” Cole Fontenelle was an absolute menace at the plate in his short time with TCU as he logged a mind-boggling .352/.473/.640 slash with 14 HRs and 21 doubles in 65 games played, which would average out to about 2 XBHs per game. The switch hitting Fontenelle worked the zone with exceptional proficiency from both sides as he balanced 45 BBs to 50 Ks in his lone year with the school pre-draft. His ability to pressure pitchers on the mound with his unceasing discipline was one of the bigger factors in his offensive success with TCU and will likely be the determinator of his success with the Angels. Fontanelle was no slouch on the base paths either as he wrangled 20 stolen bases with 66 runs scored, a mark that seemingly falls in line with the Angels re-geared organizational philosophies towards taking the extra bag and forcing runs in their favor. “It's about treating every at-bat the same, whether it was a Tuesday night with nobody in the crowd or it was a College World series or a super-regional. For me it was about having the same approach, doing the same routine on deck, walking to the plate the same way. Being super consistent and also being diligent in my preparation. It made it a lot easier to handle those big situations, and it made it a lot easier when I transitioned into pro ball. This is baseball, I've prepared the best I could so now all I can do is go compete.” Fontenelle quickly capitalized on his newfound professional opportunities post-draft by swinging for a .753 OPS in his first 38 games as a pro in Low A. His best qualities almost immediately shined through with the Angels organization as he displayed the clutch power genes brewing within on a daily basis. He opened his Low A debut with six hits and three RBIs in his first week of play before exploding mid-August with a sixteen game stretch that saw Fontenelle corral 16 hits and 15 RBIs with 8 XBHs; those being 4 doubles, 1 triple, and 3 HR’s. Fontenelle’s agile decision making at the plate and quick reads mixed with a swing that traces an elite path and bullies balls down in the zone were the biggest factors in his growing power successes last year. Furthered development should see Fontenelle continue acclimating to working the top half of the zone and beating secondaries in order to generate as many preferable pitches down his pipeline as possible. “I want to get deeper into some counts, sometimes my aggressiveness works against me. I want to get to my pitches, I know when I get my pitches I'll be able to do damage. I’m not setting any numerical goals per se; this amount of home runs, this amount of doubles, I’m just making sure I'm super consistent with my approach and preparation, doing everything I can to know about who we're facing, the arms that might come in the game, so I'm as prepared as possible to go compete. I'm doing really good this spring and I'm excited to get into the season. Knowing I can compete allows me to feel confident going into the game.” “I do damage in that low part of the zone, especially with fastballs. If a pitcher can make a mistake down there that's what I need to jump all over. It's good for me to know that high velocity and top tier sweepers/sliders are pitches that I can handle. I'm doing really good this spring and I'm excited to get into the season. Knowing I can compete allows me to feel confident going into the game.” There are many tools in baseball that will power an individual to the tallest heights of success, yet the more one studies the game the more it becomes apparent just how far being a consummate student can take you. His stark ability to absorb all the information spinning around him and amalgamate it into his own form has been on display long before his professional baseball days, or even his high school days. As a young baseball fan growing up in Seattle, Fontenelle enjoyed mimicking the stances of the Mariner standouts he looked up to at the time; those being Adrian Beltre, Raul Ibanez and Ichiro Suzuki, as he subconsciously developed his future professional form by imitating the batting stances of the Seattle trio. Success in baseball always comes down to the eyes, the way one sees the game, and likewise themselves in it, has the biggest impact on ones ability to succeed as a major leaguer. Cole Fontenelle is a talent full of soul, spark, and ingenuity both on and off the field; and with a bat and glove that plays as well as his mental it will only be a matter of time until he calculates his way to the highest reaches of success as a future Major League All-Star. View the full article
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