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TEMPE, Ariz. – Baseball’s latest Thor clone continues to drop the hammer, raising questions about just how long it might be before he can find himself on a major league roster.

With his broad shoulders and long hair flowing from under his cap, Angels right-hander Caden Dana gave up one hit over two scoreless innings against the Chicago White Sox on Sunday and had two strikeouts in his second appearance of the spring.

The outing came with Dana wearing the No. 91 on the back of his jersey. If he continues to produce similar outings, a lighter weight digit could be on the way.

“It’s just going out and pitching. It’s the same game whether it’s (minor league) ball or here,” Dana said. “They’re giving me the ball and trusting me with it so I’m going to go out there and give it all I’ve got.”

While Dana represents the future for the Angels, he was just closing out his teenage years in early December. Barely 20, it stands to reason that the former 11th round draft pick in 2022 still needs some seasoning before his time arrives.

But this is the Angels, who brought first baseman Nolan Schanuel to the major leagues last year less than three months after his final game in college at Florida Atlantic. Shortstop Zach Neto was a major leaguer less than a year after his final college game at Campbell.

“I try not to think too much. Just (take it) day by day,” Dana said. “But they’re great ballplayers and they deserve to be up there.”

The difference is that Dana was drafted out of Don Bosco Prep High School in New Jersey and has never pitched above the High-A level.

But new Angels manager Ron Washington isn’t as much concerned with track record as he is with results.

“I think what is realistic is him and where he is (in his development) when we have a need and if the organization thinks he’s the one,” Washington said. “One thing about this organization, if they have proven it, age and your experience doesn’t matter. If you’re able to get outs is what matters.”

Dana’s first spring start Sunday came after a scoreless two-inning relief appearance last Tuesday when he gave up one hit with a strikeout against the Milwaukee Brewers.

“Every time you step on the field you’re representing your name,” Dana said. “Honestly, in a big-stage moment like that, just trying to focus on one pitch at a time. If I get away from that then I’ll have a bad outing. Just stay locked in pitch by pitch.”

RUNNING MEN

A day after Chad Wallach legged out a double and scored from second base on an error, Washington was still talking about his catcher’s scamper around the bases.

“If Wallach can take an extra base, anybody on this team can take an extra base, but you have to want to and he wanted to,” Washington said with a smile Sunday, both proud of Wallach’s aggressiveness and the example he set.

Washington isn’t looking for wild risk taking, but rather calculated gambles that assist run production. The thinking isn’t too unlike the first-to-third Angels days under former manager Mike Scioscia.

“We’re just trying to push the envelope, seeing who can, who can’t, who wants to and see who does not want to,” Washington said.

And as if on cue, Angels leadoff hitter Aaron Hicks doubled in the first inning and scored on a Schanuel single, testing the arm of White Sox center fielder Rafael Ortega.

ALSO

LHP Jose Suarez, whose schedule has been lagging behind because of a bout with arm fatigue, is set to make his first Cactus League appearance Monday against the Texas Rangers in relief. … Albert Pujols, now a special assistant to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, is expected in camp Monday to spend some time as a spring instructor. Pujols is also a new MLB Network analyst and will be a manager in the Dominican Republic winter league next season for Los Leones del Escogido. … LHP Tyler Anderson makes his second start of the spring Monday against the Rangers as he tries to recover from an outing Wednesday when he gave up two earned runs and four hits in two innings against the Colorado Rockies.

 

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THE GAME: Aaron Hicks hit a home run and six pitchers combined to not allow an earned run as the Angels rallied for a 4-1 victory Saturday over the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks at Tempe, Ariz.

PITCHING REPORT: Griffin Canning gave up an unearned run over three innings with three strikeouts and has not given up an earned run in two spring starts. Canning threw 35 pitches in the game and 10 more in the bullpen afterward. After Andrew Wantz gave up two hits over 2 1/3 scoreless innings, Hunter Strickland, Guillo Zuniga, Luis Garcia, and Jose Cisnero gave up one combined hit over the final 3 2/3 innings.

HITTING REPORT: Hicks, expected to make the roster as a backup outfielder, hit a home run among his two hits, his first homer of the spring. Chad Wallach also had two hits with a double and a run scored.

WALLACH’S WILD RIDE: Not exactly fleet of foot, Wallach appeared to deliver a seventh-inning single but it went for double thanks to an odd bounce. He scored from second base on a grounder to shortstop that was booted into shallow center field for an error. It gave the Angels their first lead of the game at 2-1.

UP NEXT: Angels (RHP Caden Dana) vs. White Sox (RHP Erick Fedde), 12:10 p.m. Sunday, Bally Sports West, AM-830

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TEMPE, Ariz. — Being a half a world away at this time one year ago taught Jason Martin the perspective that has served him well so far in Angels camp.

Signed to a minor-league contract this offseason after playing in South Korea last year, the Corona native and Orange Lutheran High alum is back in the familiar position of trying to prove himself at spring training.

“Definitely going into last season, I had a lot of doubts. I kind of felt I was going into the unknown,” Martin said of his time in South Korea. “But once I got there and realized it was the same game and I was able to do my thing over in a different country, I think without even knowing it, it helped me in different ways coming back here. I feel a lot more calm on the field, a lot more confident.”

At 28, the former eighth-round draft pick in 2013 by the Houston Astros still is in search of a regular chance to show what he can do at the major-league level. He has 85 games of major-league experience, seeing 58 games of action with the Texas Rangers in 2021.

But 2022 was spent entirely at Triple-A Oklahoma City in the Dodgers’ organization. And while he never was called up to Los Angeles that season, he made the most of his time by tapping into his power potential.

Martin hit a career-best 32 home runs at OKC with 107 RBIs in 129 games. His .938 OPS also was a career best. But when opportunities for 2023 looked like more of the same, Martin took a leap and moved to South Korea’s KBO, playing last year for the NC Dinos.

Martin hit 17 home runs in South Korea and had 90 RBIs. He had 20 doubles with a .360 on-base percentage and reignited his running game with 15 stolen bases, his most for a single team in one season since he had 20 at Single-A Lancaster in 2016.

There are no guarantees with the Angels, of course. Outfield spots are tight with Mike Trout, Mickey Moniak, Taylor Ward, Jo Adell and Aaron Hicks likely to land a spot. Those vying for attention to join the group at some point include Martin, Jordyn Adams, Jake Marisnick and Willie Calhoun.

Martin knows the prove-yourself routine well, which means he also is aware that by fretting over where he fits in won’t help at all. The only thing he can do is to show his worth. In five games this spring, he has four hits in nine at-bats, with a home run, double and four RBIs.

“It shows that he has some experience with the way he goes about his business and the way he plays,” said Angels manager Ron Washington, using the word “impressive” to describe Martin’s spring so far.

At 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, Martin certainly does not cut an imposing figure. He tried to lean into his speed as a younger player, but outfield spots require power so Martin has gone to great lengths in order to oblige.

“Growing up was more kind of working with what I had body-wise, getting into profiles a lot smaller, a lot skinnier and not really knowing how to use my body the right way,” Martin said. “I’d say the past few years I really locked it in on how my swing should look, how I should feel and what is able to generate power. I think that has been showing the past couple of years.”

B-MOVIE

Coming off his first home run of the spring Friday, catcher Logan O’Hoppe participated in a B Game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Scottsdale, where he was able to bat every inning and hit another homer in six trips to the plate.

“I thought he had some great at-bats (Friday) and I didn’t want him to stop,” Washington said. “We don’t want to continue to put him behind the plate every day, but we got an opportunity to get him as many at-bats as he wanted.

“He’s young and he’s used to thumping. And when he’s not thumping, it can get into his head. The more at-bats we can get him to feel good about himself, the better off we’re going to be.”

Right-hander Jose Soriano, who pitched in 38 games as a reliever last season, got the start in the B Game and allowed one hit over three innings with five strikeouts.

OPEN PROCESS

The Angels are on the hunt for an Opening Day starter after Shohei Ohtani held the role the past two seasons, with Washington saying he will be patient before awarding the honor.

“I think we’ll do that when we get down the stretch,” Washington said. “Right now, we have too many moving parts.

“We have an idea of what we have and know how we want to line them up, but let’s wait until we get close enough and know that everybody is where they need to be health-wise and mentally-wise and then we’ll do what we have to do with that.”

The Angels open the season March 28 on the road against the Baltimore Orioles and will play their home opener April 5 against the Boston Red Sox.

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PEORIA, Ariz. — Reid Detmers’ spring training debut on Friday was not unlike his 2023 season with some misplaced pitches to go along with a bit of bad luck before ending on a flourish.

The left-hander faced the San Diego Padres on Friday and struggled with his command, allowing four walks. He gave up two hits, one on a bunt he fielded then had nowhere to throw since first baseman Brian Dozier also was pursuing the ball.

He was nearly out of a jam in the second with two runners aboard before allowing an RBI double to deep center field by Tim Locastro.

The end of his 1⅔-inning outing was something to build on, though, when he struck out Fernando Tatis Jr. on three pitches, all of them called strikes.

“It wasn’t the best outing obviously; it was definitely a command issue,” Detmers said. “But first-game jitters. Just kind of wipe it out of your head and move on the next. I’m not too worried about it.”

Detmers had a rocky ride last season with a 4-10 record over 28 starts and a 4.48 ERA. But he fashioned a 1.82 ERA over his last four outings of the season, all in September.

He went into the offseason after a strong seven-inning outing against the eventual World Series champion Texas Rangers on Sept. 26 by giving up one run and four hits over seven innings. It left him with his first win in six starts, with two second-half wins against the Rangers.

When Detmers is in stride, he has shown he has the potential to be a top pitcher. The 24-year-old is confident he is on his way to reaching that potential.

“I feel like I’m the same person, that same guy,” Detmers said. “I mean, it’s one start. One start at the very beginning of spring training. … I just kind of had a lot of adrenaline and was ready to get after it there. I’ll come back next week fine.”

Even as a coach with the Atlanta Braves, new Angels manager Ron Washington said he is plenty familiar with Detmers’ potential. He expects big things from his lefty.

“I’ve always been impressed with him, even last year when he wasn’t doing well,” Washington said. “You can look at him and see he has potential. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how hard you work. If it’s meant that you are going to have a bad year, you’re going to have a bad year.

“… You have to find out why it didn’t happen because something made it not happen and then don’t let that set in again. And I think that’s where he is.”

OPPORTUNITY EARNED

Add right-hander Jose Soriano to the list of potential Angels starters this season.

Already listed as the starter for Saturday’s home game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the honor is not necessarily a stop-gap measure for the reliever, nor is it merely a chance to see how he can handle an “opener” role.

Washington said Soriano will get the chance to go three innings against the National League champions. If he can show he’s comfortable in the role, his innings will continue to be extended.

“Because of the stuff he has and how strong he is, he’s going to get a chance to start and see where it goes,” Washington said Friday.

The 24-year-old Soriano made his major league debut with the Angels on June 3 and went 1-3 with a 3.64 ERA in 38 relief outings. He had 56 strikeouts over 42 innings.

In the Angels’ organization since 2016, when he was 17, Soriano has been used as a starter throughout most of his time as a minor leaguer. He made 65 starts as a member of the Angels’ organization and two starts in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ system in 2021. He has worked through two Tommy John surgeries during that time, missing the entire 2020 season.

“We know he can throw out of the bullpen; that’s a given,” Washington said. “So right now, we’re going to assess one thing at a time.”

FAITH REWARDED

Catcher Logan O’Hoppe entered Friday’s start behind the plate with just one hit in eight at-bats while striking out a team-high five times. Before the game, Washington felt it was a matter of time before the results began to match the effort.

“I just expect him to get his reps (and) get through spring training healthy,” Washington said. “The more at-bats he gets, that will take care of itself. We’re going to get him what he needs by the time Opening Day comes. I don’t want him putting pressure on himself with at-bats right now.”

O’Hoppe then went 1 for 3 in Friday’s game, hitting his first home run of the spring to lead off the sixth inning.

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THE GAME: Willie Calhoun had a home run among his three hits, Logan O’Hoppe and Miguel Sano hit back-to-back homers and the Angels rallied for a 5-3 victory over the San Diego Padres on Friday in Peoria, Ariz.

PITCHING REPORT: Left-hander Reid Detmers walked four in 1⅔ innings and called his rough spring debut a case of the “jitters,” vowing to be better in his second outing next week. … Left-hander Matt Moore had two strikeouts during a scoreless inning, while hard-throwing Ben Joyce gave up two hits and two walks in an inning of work, but gave up just one run.

HITTING REPORT: Calhoun showed his bat remains quick with a home run to right field in the second inning and adding two singles. … O’Hoppe’s second hit of the spring was a drive that just cleared the left-field wall in the sixth and Sano followed with a deep drive to left. … Kyren Paris had two hits.

CIRCUS CATCH: Angels first baseman Hunter Dozier did his best to get under a foul ball down the right-field line in the fifth inning, but he was unable to make the catch, instead batting the ball in the air. Paris, the second baseman, trailed the play and also bobbled the ball before finally making the catch for the out with his bare hand.

UP NEXT: Angels (RHP Jose Soriano) vs. Diamondbacks (LHP Logan Allen), Saturday, 12:10 p.m., Bally Sports West, 830 AM

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THE GAME: Angels pitchers combined to allow just four hits in a 4-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians in a Cactus League game on Thursday at Tempe Diablo Stadium.

PITCHING REPORT: Left-hander Patrick Sandoval pitched two perfect innings. Sandoval struck out two. Sandoval was so efficient that he had to throw an extra 15 pitches in the bullpen to get to his scheduled pitch count. “Today was really good for my confidence with my fastball, being able to put it where I want, and getting swings and misses on it,” Sandoval said. “It was huge.” … Right-hander Chase Silseth pitched two scoreless innings. He gave up one hit and one walk. Silseth and Sandoval, who are two of the Angels’ projected five starters, were making their first appearances of the spring. … Left-hander Drew Pomeranz pitched a scoreless inning. Pomeranz, who is in camp as a non-roster invite, has not allowed a run in either of his two outings. … Right-hander Victor Mederos pitched a perfect inning, with a strikeout.

HITTING REPORT: Zach Neto blasted a home run off the batters’ eye, his first homer of the spring. Neto has three hits this spring, and all are extra-base hits. … Mike Trout lined a double into left center, his first hit of the spring. He started off hitless in his first 10 at-bats, including a strikeout in the first inning. … Anthony Rendon drew a walk and singled. Rendon is 2 for 6 with three walks this spring. … Brandon Drury drove in a run with a single. … Jo Adell singled, improving to 3 for 8 this spring. … Ehire Adrianza became the first Angels player to hit two homers this spring. A non-roster invitee, Adrianza is a candidate for a bench spot.

DEFENSE REPORT: Neto, the shortstop, made a nice play charging in on a slow bouncer.

UP NEXT: Angels (LHP Reid Detmers) at Padres (RHP Randy Vasquez) at Peoria Sports Complex, Friday, 12:10 p.m. PT, Bally Sports West, 830 AM

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TEMPE, Ariz. — Mickey Moniak is finally beginning a season without the weight of unmet expectations.

Moniak, a former No. 1 overall draft pick who never found his big-league footing until 2023, comfortably has a job as a regular in the Angels lineup.

“It feels different in the sense of finally having the success I had and almost validating what I’ve been doing in the offseason,” Moniak said.

Moniak, 25, had hit just .157 with a .486 OPS over 167 plate appearances in parts of three seasons with Philadelphia and the Angels going into last year, when he hit .280 with 14 homers and an .802 OPS in 323 plate appearances.

“He’s a professional hitter,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “He really is. He can handle the bat.”

Washington likes Moniak as his leadoff hitter and right fielder, although he might also get some time at designated hitter or another outfield spot when either Mike Trout or Taylor Ward has the day off.

The remaining questions are whether he can hit lefties and whether he can improve his strikeout-walk ratio.

Moniak drew nine walks and struck out 113 times last season.

“Something I do really well and something that makes me who I am is I am aggressive,” Moniak said. “If pitches are in the zone, I put them in play and hit them hard. The mindset for me is not necessarily trying to walk more. It’s more swinging at the pitches in the zone and being aggressive and if it’s not there, take it. It’s a fine line between not taking away my aggressiveness and being more patient. But that’s something we’re working on this spring.”

As for hitting lefties, Moniak has a career .172 average. Last year, though, when he got his first real shot against lefties, he hit .222.

“It’s just about getting an opportunity to do it,” Moniak said. “And when I get those opportunities, I have to capitalize on them and show people that I can do it.”

Moniak has answered the skeptics on other parts of his game, a process that he said actually began before the 2022 season. That’s when he scrapped a lot of what he’d done with his swing in his first years in the Phillies’ system. He said he “simplified” things, returning to much of what he was doing as far back as high school.

Moniak hit .378 with an OPS of 1.351 with the Phillies in spring training 2022, but he fractured his right hand when he was hit by a pitch just before opening day. He returned to play just 18 games with the Phillies before they traded him to the Angels in the Noah Syndergaard deal at the deadline.

Moniak was just a week into his Angels career when he fractured a finger trying to bunt. That cost him most of the rest of the 2022 season.

So for 2023, he believed he simply needed to keep doing what he’d done in 2022, but without the injuries.

“I just had to stick with it,” Moniak said. “The season I had was validating that what I was doing works. But I’m definitely still hungry to get better.”

SHUT DOWN

The Angels are tied for the major-league lead with five opposing runners caught stealing this spring. They’ve allowed five stolen bases.

“Every part of defense is a particular emphasis, and that’s a part of defense,” Washington said of stopping opponents on the bases.

They caught Colorado Rockies speedster Zac Veen twice Wednesday.

“He made three attempts at a stolen base and he got blown up twice,” Washington said with a broad smile. “And he can fly. That’s defense.”

One time he was thrown out by Angels 18-year-old catcher Juan Flores.

NOTES

Right-hander Robert Stephenson (shoulder) said he “felt good” after playing catch Wednesday. He said he’s not too concerned about the injury, but still might have to start the season on the injured list simply because he’d run out of time. “At this point, getting in enough games to be ready for opening day will be a little bit of a challenge,” Stephenson said. “I feel comfortable being in games before the end of the spring. It’s just a matter of if the workload is built up enough or not.” …

The Angels are stretching out right-hander Andrew Wantz to make him a starting candidate instead of a reliever. Washington said he likes Wantz because he’s consistent. Washington reiterated that the Angels like “the first five,” which are left-handers Patrick Sandoval, Reid Detmers and Tyler Anderson and right-handers Griffin Canning and Chase Silseth. Washington said an injury could open the door for another starter, and Wantz now joins the list of starter candidates, along with right-handers Zach Plesac and Davis Daniel and left-handers José Suarez and Kenny Rosenberg. …

Suarez has not pitched yet in a spring training game because Washington said “his arm was a little dead” after winter ball, but Washington said he still has time to get enough innings to be ready for opening day. Suarez is out of options.

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THE GAME: The Angels lost to the Colorado Rockies, 3-1, in a Cactus League game on Wednesday at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, Ariz.

PITCHING REPORT: Left-hander Tyler Anderson gave up two runs in two innings. He worked a perfect first and then gave up four hits in the second. One of the hits was nearly caught by left fielder Taylor Ward. “Regardless of the outcome, I felt like I was executing better as it went on,” Anderson said. … Three Angels relievers expected to be on the Opening Day roster made their first appearances of the spring. Closer Carlos Estévez gave up a run in his innings, but right-handers Adam Cimber and Luis Garcia did not allow any runs. Garcia needed just five pitches to get through his inning. Cimber’s outing included a scare when he had to fling himself backward to avoid a 105 mph line drive. Shortstop Zach Neto fielded it on a hop to get the out. … Two right-handers competing for jobs – Hunter Strickland and Jimmy Herget – also worked scoreless innings.

HITTING REPORT: Nolan Schanuel singled twice, an infield hit and a line drive into left-center. Both had exit velocities of at least 100 mph. Schanuel is 5 for 10 this spring, with at least one hit in each of the four games he’s played. … Anthony Rendon singled, walked and was hit by a pitch. Rendon drew a walk after falling behind 0-and-2. … Jason Martin singled, improving to 4 for 8 this spring. An Orange Lutheran High product, Martin is in a position to provide outfield depth. … Mike Trout was hitless in three at-bats, dropping to 0 for 9 to start the spring. … Ward drove in a run with a two-out single in the second.

DEFENSE REPORT: The Angels had the infield in and a ball ricocheted off the glove of Neto and went straight to Rendon, the third baseman. The Angels got the out with a rundown, but a run scored on the play. … Rendon made a nice backhand play on a sharp grounder. … The Angels picked off two runners, one with Cimber on the mound and one with Herget pitching. … Catcher Juan Flores threw out a runner trying to steal second. Flores, who just turned 18 earlier this month, has impressed the staff with his raw tools.

UP NEXT: Angels (LHP Patrick Sandoval) vs. Guardians (RHP Gavin Williams) at Tempe Diablo Stadium, Thursday, 12:10 p.m. PT, Bally Sports West, 830 AM

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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Tyler Anderson wants to return to his philosophy of pitching this year.

“My whole life has been trying to make good pitches, not make my pitches good,” Anderson said.

The catchy phrase refers to the difference between thinking about how a pitch works against a certain hitter in a certain game situation, and simply measuring the velocity or the break or the spin of the baseball.

As Anderson looks to rebound from the worst year of his career, he said one of the points of emphasis is not to chase Trackman numbers.

“Less chasing stuff, which I felt was the M.O. last year, as opposed to pitching, which is what I like,” Anderson said.

Anderson, who was set to make his first start of the spring Tuesday afternoon, said so far he’s enjoying the new organizational approach. The Angels have a new pitching coach (Barry Enright) and a new bullpen coach (Steve Karsay). New run prevention coordinator Alex Cultice helps develop the overall pitch-calling strategy.

Whether all of that helps turn around Anderson remains to be seen.

Certainly, the 34-year-old left-hander had more going wrong last season than the guidance he was getting from the organization.

“Every year in the offseason, I’m kind of battling stuff and then right around the time spring came I’d start feeling good,” Anderson said. “Last year I never really got there.”

Anderson said it wasn’t fatigue or pain.

“I knew what I needed to do and I felt like I couldn’t get my body in position to do it,” he said. “Like my hips were too tight or there was some kind of block where I’m trying to make this fix over and over. It’s like trying to pound a square peg into a round hole. It doesn’t fit. The whole year I was fighting myself trying to make adjustments that physically I wasn’t really capable of making.”

Anderson said he felt his velocity dropping and worked hard to improve it, but it was futile.

“Coming into spring last year, I felt like I just couldn’t get any velo going,” Anderson said. “That’s probably because if you’re in the right positions, your body kind of naturally creates those levers to throw harder. If you’re trying to force it, you kind of lose command. Chasing a mile an hour for me, going from 89 to 90 or 90 to 91 or 92 is probably not that beneficial.

“If I’m gonna go from 90 to 97, it’s probably OK to chase that and lose command, but to try as hard as I can to throw one mile an hour harder with literally 110% of effort every single time? I’m sacrificing command. For me, that’s not where it’s at.”

The result was a 5.43 ERA in 25 starts, covering 141 innings. It was not what the Angels expected when they signed Anderson to a three-year, $39 million deal in November 2022.

Anderson was coming off an All-Star season in which he’d posted a 2.57 ERA with the Dodgers in 2022. The Angels weren’t expecting that either, or they’d have been paying him $30 million a year instead of $13 million.

Anderson’s career ERA heading into 2023 was 4.16, and if Anderson would have just done that last year, he’d have delivered what the Angels needed.

Going into 2024, Anderson said if he can get to something in between 2022 and 2023, those would be “like my normal numbers.”

Manager Ron Washington, who wasn’t around for Anderson’s 2023 nightmare, said he’s willing to write it off as an outlier season. He said he “loves” Anderson’s attitude.

“He had a chance to go through that bad spell,” Washington said. “Now he has a chance to go through a good spell. You play this game long enough, you’re going to have bad spells. No one plays this game consistently all the time. You’re gonna have those periods and then you find out what you’re made of. We know what he’s made of.

“He’s a gamer, man. Maybe some things he wasn’t doing that he should have done. He had a chance to deal with that over the winter. Come back in here and make sure that he goes about his business to make certain that he gets back to where he is.”

NOTES

Right-hander Robert Stephenson (sore shoulder) was cleared to begin some light throwing. Stephenson has not yet pitched in a Cactus League game. …

Infielders Michael Stefanic (strained quad) and Luis Rengifo (hamstring) were both cleared to resume baseball workouts. …

First baseman Evan White (hip soreness) also returned to action after being slowed for several days. White has dealt with hip issues for years, and he was finally feeling 100% as he began his first spring training with the Angels. He felt a tweak last week and took some time to let it subside. “It was a little tight last week and I think the biggest thing now is we’ve waited to long to get back to playing that we’re doing the right thing by taking it slow and putting myself in the best position to not just be healthy, but to stay on the field for the whole season,” White said. …

Taylor Ward led off the first inning with a double Tuesday, but Washington wanted him to go for the triple, which is another indication of how he’s pushing the Angels to not be conservative on the bases. The rule of thumb is never to make the first out at third base, but Washington believed that Ward would have been comfortably safe. “You don’t force third, but if the play predicts you can get to third, don’t think about ‘I’m the leadoff guy and there’s nobody out so I’m going to stop at second,’” Washington said.

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THE GAME: Zach Neto drove in three runs with a pair of extra-base hits in the Angels’ 6-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday afternoon at Tempe Diablo Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.

PITCHING REPORT: Right-hander Zach Plesac gave up two runs in two innings. Plesac gave up three hits, including a double. He issued one walk, which included a ball because of a pitch clock violation. Plesac is throwing a new slider that is more of a sweeper. “It’s supposed to induce more swing and miss, and that’s what I saw today,” he said. “So I’m happy with how that played out.” … Left-hander Matt Moore worked a perfect inning. … Right-hander Guillo Zuñiga struck out all three hitters he faced. Zuñiga has five strikeouts in two scoreless innings this spring. “The stuff he showed out there today, he just overmatched them,” Manager Ron Washington said. “I certainly hope he keeps that up because that was big time.” … Right-hander Caden Dana, the Angels’ top pitching prospect, pitched two scoreless innings in his spring debut. He gave up a leadoff single, but then got two grounders and a pop-up, followed by a perfect inning. “Tremendous mound presence,” Washington said. “He was out there like he knew what he was doing and what he wanted to do. I didn’t see any anxiety at all.”

HITTING REPORT: Neto barely missed a homer, with his drive hitting off the top of the fence in right-center field. It went for a two-run double instead. In his next at-bat, he tripled over the head of the left fielder, driving in another run. Neto then tried to bunt for a hit, but he was thrown out. … Taylor Ward led off the game with a double into the gap in right center. … Mike Trout hit a line drive into right center, but Sal Frelick made a spectacular diving catch, and Trout had to settle for a sacrifice fly. Trout also struck out and grounded out. He is hitless in six at-bats this spring. … Nolan Schanuel singled, giving him a hit in all three games he’s played this spring. … Miguel Sanó started for the third time in three days since arriving in camp. He went hitless in three at-bats. He’s now 0 for 6 with four strikeouts this spring. … Livan Soto went 3 for 3.

DEFENSE REPORT: Catcher Chad Wallach couldn’t catch a wind-blown foul pop-up on the first pitch of the game. It dropped about 15 feet from him. The Angels got the out a few pitches later. … Trout tried to make an over-the-shoulder catch on a ball at the center field fence, but he couldn’t come up with it. It went for a double.

UP NEXT: Angels (LHP Tyler Anderson) at Rockies (LHP Austin Gomber) at Salt River Fields, Scottsdale, Wednesday, 12:10 p.m. PT, Bally Sports West, 830 AM

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TEMPE, Ariz. — Lost amid the narratives of Mike Trout’s injuries or whether he should ask to be traded is the underlying question about what he actually did while he was on the field last season.

The Angels’ superstar, a three-time MVP, posted numbers that were, across the board, the worst of his career.

Trout finished with a .263 average and an .858 OPS, which were well below his previous career averages of .303 and 1.002.

Trout hit 18 homers in 82 games, with his season cut short by a fractured bone in his hand.

“I’ve been fighting through it for the last couple years,” said Trout, who had a .999 OPS in 2022. “Just get that rhythm down, going through a stretch where I feel feel comfortable. Looking back, there wasn’t a stretch in the last year or the year before where I felt like myself for a while. Just getting back to that is key.”

Trout had a .669 OPS over a 41-game span from late April to mid June, which was the worst 41-game span of his career, excluding the 2011 season when he first broke into the majors as a teenager.

Trout finally started to perform in June. He had a 1.047 OPS over his last 16 games and 68 plate appearances before he fractured his hamate bone July 3.

The obvious question is whether Trout’s down year in 2023 was an isolated slump, or if it was a sign of the decline that normally comes as a player gets older.

Trout, who turned 32 in August, scoffed at that idea.

“No, no, no,” he said. “It’s not that. I know what I’m doing wrong. I created a bad habit in the last year or two that I’m trying to get out of.”

That habit, Trout said, is “sliding,” as opposed to keeping a firm base. That caused his hips to drop and he “was under everything.”

Trout’s contact rate was 76% in 2023. He had been at least 80% in every season through 2020. He was at 73% in his injury-shortened 2021 and in 2022.

His troubles were especially acute against high velocity. Last year, Trout hit .197 on pitches at 95 mph or harder. The major-league average was .240. Trout had previously never hit worse than .236 on those pitches, and as recently as 2022 he hit .290.

Although it’s easy to suspect that Trout’s bat speed has slowed, the numbers don’t support that.

Statcast began tracking bat speed in 2023, and Trout’s average of 73.8 mph was the second fastest in the majors, behind Giancarlo Stanton (77.0). The problem wasn’t that the bat was slow; it was that he was missing too many pitches, which he said is because of the mechanical issue.

There was also some element of bad luck for Trout last year. His expected batting average, based on the quality of contact, was .275. The expected slugging percentage was .523, compared with his actual slugging percentage of .490.

Trout’s solution for 2024 starts with getting more plate appearances in spring training. He said he wants 70 to 80 plate appearances this spring, which would include at-bats in live batting practice or minor-league games. Last year, he had just 26 plate appearances in spring training, plus some on back fields.

“You can only do so much in the cage,” Trout said. “You have to get those everyday reps, in the game … If I can get to 100 by mid-April, that’s when you can really get into a rhythm. You have to build into that, but getting those at-bats in spring training will definitely help.”

Trout remains confident he can again be the player who won those three MVPs, including one in 2019.

“For sure,” he said. “Every year I come in like that. I want to be back to that. When you’re grinding through things at the plate, it’s tough mentally and physically. Mentally, you’re trying to get to that point. When you don’t, and you’re fighting through things, it puts a toll on you. And physically, you’re in there hitting every day, and things flare up on you. Getting back to my normal self is the goal.”

IT’S GO TIME

The Angels stole 10 bases through their first four spring training games, which was second only to the Colorado Rockies (11) in the majors. The Angels were caught stealing twice.

It’s all part of Angels manager Ron Washington’s preference to be aggressive on the bases.

“I don’t think these teams in the American League will let us run crazy, but if they go to sleep, we’re going to run,” Washington said. “They’re going to have to be on their P’s and Q’s because I want to be aggressive. That’s the way we’re going to play.”

Washington said they’ll also emphasize taking extra bases on hits. When the Angels have a runner at third and less than two outs, Washington said he will regularly send the runner on contact, as long as the Angels are ahead or tied.

“We’re just trying to get that mindset,” Washington said. “If you get thrown out, get up, brush yourself off and when you get back out there, do it again. We’re not going to stop pushing the envelope unless a team stops us.”

NOTES

Left-hander José Suarez is not scheduled to pitch in a game yet. Washington said Suarez, who pitched in winter ball, is healthy. “Early on his arm wasn’t live, so we’re going to give him a little break to get his arm back,” Washington said. …

Angels broadcaster Mark Gubicza is scheduled to be in uniform as a guest instructor, starting Wednesday. A veteran of 14 big-league seasons, Gubicza has never served as an instructor with the Angels. Former Angels shortstop David Eckstein will also be a guest instructor, starting Wednesday.

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THE GAME: The Angels blew an early seven-run lead to fall behind by two, but they scored four runs in the seventh to pull out an 11-9 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Monday at Scottsdale Stadium in Scottsdale, Ariz.

PITCHING REPORT: Right-hander Griffin Canning worked around four singles to pitch two scoreless innings. Canning struck out one, getting Michael Conforto on a changeup in the first inning. Canning needed just eight pitches to get through the second inning. “He was aggressive,” Manager Ron Washington said. “He was very, very aggressive. That’s what I liked about it. He certainly had an idea how to use his pitches.” … Right-hander José Soriano allowed three runs in two innings. … Right-hander Ben Joyce walked the bases loaded and then gave up a grand slam on a 3-and-1 pitch. He recorded just one out before he was pulled. Joyce’s fastball topped out at 101 mph. “You can see he was overthrowing,” Washington said. “Once he learns how to control that arm of his, with that velocity in it, he’s going to be dangerous.” … Left-hander Jack Dashwood worked a scoreless inning to protect a two-run lead in the eighth. There were runners at second and third when Manager Ron Washington came to the mound to give him a pep talk, and Dashwood responded with an inning-ending strikeout.

HITTING REPORT: Ehire Adrianza hit a home run on the first pitch of the game. Adrianza, who is in camp competing for a utility infield spot, came up with the Giants. … Jason Martin, who drove in a run with a first-inning single, has driven in at least one run in all three games he’s played. … Aaron Hicks lined a hit into the gap in right-center. It was misplayed by Giants center fielder Wade Meckler and ruled a triple. Hicks was hitting right-handed, which is his better side. Hicks also singled from the left side in his first at-bat. … Hunter Dozier hit a three-run homer, improving to 3 for 6 this spring. Dozier, who has played parts of seven years in the majors, is competing for a spot on the Angels’ bench. … In the seventh, Charles LeBlanc tied the score with a two-run single and then 18-year-old Nelson Rada, one of the Angels’ top prospects, followed with a two-run single. … The Angels drew seven walks.

DEFENSE REPORT: Right fielder Jake Marisnick misplayed a single, allowing the runner to go to second. … Right-hander Walbert Ureña picked off a runner at first to escape a jam in the sixth inning.

UP NEXT: Angels (RHP Zach Plesac) vs. Brewers (RHP Janson Junk) at Tempe Diablo Stadium, Tuesday, 12:10 p.m. PT, Bally Sports West, 830 AM

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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — As Ron Washington gets to know his players, beyond simply the numbers they’ve produced, Griffin Canning made an immediate impression on his new manager.

Washington, in fact, pulled the right-hander aside this spring to let him know what he thought of his work.

“There may be older guys on that pitching staff, but let me tell you something, they don’t handle their business the way you handle yours,” Washington told Canning.

Canning is 27 and has only made it through one full big league season in the rotation. The others were interrupted by injuries or the pandemic.

Still, Washington likes what he’s seen.

“He’s an athlete and he’s a natural leader and that attribute I want him to use every day,” Washington said. “He’s got all those kids with him. Bring them with him. Don’t you do it and hope they follow. No, no, no. Make them follow. Because you do it right. You stand out. I let him know that I want him to lead that pitching staff.”

After Canning worked two scoreless innings against the San Francisco Giants in his spring debut on Monday, he said he appreciated Washington’s confidence.

“Obviously Wash has been in the game for a long time, so that’s awesome to hear,” Canning said. “I want to prove him right. I want to be a leader so I’ll do what I can.”

Canning was the Angels’ second round pick in 2017, and he’s been in the majors since 2019, although he’s been injured for much of that time.

“When you look at it, I’m one of the guys that has been with Angels the longest now, so I know kind of where we can improve and that kind of thing,” Canning said. “If we can turn around the culture and kind of set it how we want it to be then, yeah, anything I can do to help.”

For his part, Canning will simply be trying to take the next step on what he did last season, which was an encouraging 127 innings. He had missed the previous season and a half with a stress fracture in his back.

“It was very satisfying,” Canning said of his 2023 season. “After that last start, it was a big emotional dump to relax a little bit. I was proud of myself and thankful for the people around me that helped me get to that point. While you’re hurt, you think about how good it’s going to feel once you come out the other side.”

Canning made 22 starts and posted a 4.32 ERA. He gave up three runs or fewer in 16 of his starts.

“It was probably my most rewarding season personally, knowing everything I went through and how hard I had to work,” Canning said.

The next step for him is to make another jump in terms of innings, and further minimize the rough outings.

“I think it’s more just a mentality thing,” Canning said. “I think my pitches are my pitches. Obviously we’re going to tinker and make it as best as we can, but it’s just going out there and executing one pitch at a time. It pretty much boils down to throwing strikes, jumping ahead of the hitters, all of the sort of cliche things. Usually the simple things are the most important things.”

NOTES

Right-hander Adam Cimber (left hamstring tightness) was cleared to return to regular activity. …

Left-hander José Quijada (Tommy John surgery) has been doing long toss. He was scheduled to get out to 120 feet on Monday. The Angels are planning on Quijada returning sometime in June or July. …

Outfielder Nelson Rada, one of the Angels’ top prospects, is in big league camp even though he’s just 18. “He looks young,” Washington said. “You can see his game is not all the way there yet. But it’s good for the level that he plays. He’s got a lot of upside. It’s good for him to be getting this competition. He’ll leave here better than he was when he came.” …

The early returns on Jo Adell’s swing changes have Washington optimistic that he will cut down on his strikeouts. “I believe his contact rate is going to go up this year,” Washington said. “It might go up a percent. It might go up 2%. And you never know, it might go up 15%. He’s working on some things to try to put himself in a better position to be able to make better contact when he decides to explode at a baseball.” Adell has struck out in 35.4% of his plate appearances in his major league career, with a contact rate of 63.8%. The major league average is 74.2%. …

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THE GAMES: The Angels lost a pair of games on Sunday, falling 1-0 to the Kansas City Royals at Tempe Diablo Stadium and losing, 9-4, to the Cincinnati Reds at Goodyear Ballpark.

PITCHING REPORT: In Tempe, right-hander Andrew Wantz got the start and pitched two scoreless innings, although he gave up three hits in the second. Wantz is a candidate for the Angels bullpen. “Out of the chute, Wantzy setting the tone was big,” said Angels bench coach Ray Montgomery, who led the team in Tempe while manager Ron Washington went to Goodyear. “He came in and attacked the zone.  I liked his presence. I liked how he finished some hitters. I liked how he mixed and matched.” … Left-hander Drew Pomeranz and right-hander Hunter Strickland each worked one perfect inning. … Right-hander Jimmy Herget gave up a leadoff single, but he struck out the next two and got a fly ball to escape with a scoreless inning. … The only run the Royals scored was an unearned run against right-hander Kelvin Caceres in the fifth inning. … In Goodyear, left-hander Kenny Rosenberg gave up one run in two innings. … Right-hander Luis Rangel gave up five runs, including a three-run homer by Luke Maile.

HITTING REPORT: In Tempe, Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon were both hitless in two at-bats. They each had a chance to drive in a run in the third inning, after Aaron Hicks doubled. … In Goodyear, outfield prospect Nelson Rada led off the game with a walk and then he stole second and third. … Jason Martin drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and he also doubled. Martin has driven in three runs in his first two games. … Miguel Sanó struck out twice and was hit by a pitch. Sanó played even though he just arrived in camp on Sunday after being delayed by visa issues.

DEFENSE REPORT: In Tempe, Hicks threw out a runner at the plate from right field, ending the second inning. … Second baseman Brandon Drury made a leaping attempt to catch a line drive, but it hit off his glove. It was ruled a hit. … Third baseman Arol Vera made a diving play. The ball initially hit off his glove, but he recovered quickly enough to still get the out at first. … First baseman Eric Wagaman made a lunging grab of a ground ball that was headed down the line, but later in the inning he failed to catch a throw, for an error. That extended the inning, allowing the Royals to score the only run of the game on a Caceres wild pitch.

UP NEXT: Angels (RHP Griffin Canning) at Giants (RHP Mason Black) at Scottsdale Stadium, Monday, 12:05 p.m. PT, Bally Sports West, 830 AM.

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TEMPE, Ariz. — It remains to be seen whether Miguel Sanó has any good baseball left in him, but he made a good impression the moment he walked in the door at Angels spring training.

Sanó, who was delayed by visa issues in the Dominican Republic and arrived Sunday, said he lost 58 pounds in the last year.

“He looks real good,” manager Ron Washington said. “And he’s in a great fame of mind.”

Washington, however, conceded that on the field Sanó is “a little rough right now,” and then he joked that “we’re just going to have to beat him into shape.”

Sanó, 30, has hit at least 25 homers in four big league seasons with the Minnesota Twins, including 30 in 2021. In 2022, he hit .083 and was released. He then dealt with left knee issues, which was one of the reasons that he decided he needed to get into better shape.

“It was very important to me,” Sanó said through an interpreter. “I feel better and lighter, and that will help me have better performance on the field.”

The Angels signed Sanó to a minor league deal based on how he looked in winter ball, and he’d been working out at the team’s complex in the Dominican Republic until he was able to get to Arizona.

There is a pathway for him to make the big league roster. A right-handed hitter, Sanó could play third and first and he can also be the DH. If no one is hurt, the Angels have one infield spot up for grabs. An injury would obviously open another spot.

“To be a good team you need stories,” general manager Perry Minasian said. “You need some guys to emerge that aren’t talked about a ton. Or younger players that develop at a certain time. (Sanó) is someone we really liked going into the offseason as long as he proved he’s healthy. He played in winter ball and played well, so we thought we should take a shot at him.”

MEJIA RELEASED

The Angels released veteran catcher Francisco Mejia, which was a surprising move after just one Cactus League game.

Minasian said that Mejia’s goal was to make the big league team out of camp, and the Angels realized that wasn’t likely to happen on their roster.

“He wants to be in the big leagues,” Minasian said. “He’s been in the big leagues a long time. As currently constructed, it would have been very difficult to make this team, which was his goal.”

Mejia, 28, has played 355 games in the majors over parts of seven years, including 50 games with the Tampa Bay Rays last season.

Logan O’Hoppe and Matt Thaiss are in line to be the two catchers on the major league roster, and the Angels also have Chad Wallach, Caleb Hamilton and Zach Humphreys as depth.

Minasian pointed out that the Angels signed Mejia early in the offseason, before they had re-signed Wallach and when they had more questions about Humphreys and Hamilton. Humphreys was injured last season.

Although Mejia was behind the plate when the Angels gave up five runs in the eighth inning on Saturday, Minasian and Washington said this decision was not related to Mejia’s performance. The three pitchers he handled issued five walks.

PEP TALK

After left-hander Nick Jones walked the first batter he faced in the top of the ninth inning on Saturday, Washington went to the mound to talk to the 25-year-old. He said it was to tell Jones to throw strikes. Jones settled down and escaped the inning with no runs scoring.

While many managers only go to the mound when they are making a pitching change, and they leave other visits to the pitching coach, Washington said he is not shy about making some visits himself.

Teams are now allowed only four mound visits per game, excluding pitching changes. That’s one fewer than last year, but that won’t dissuade Washington.

“For a mechanical and pitching thing, you’ll see the pitching coach,” Washington said. “When I’m ready to get in your head,  you’ll see me. I’m a psychologist. When I go out there I’m going out to make them believe they can get off this field. … When I’ve got a message to deliver, I’m going to deliver it. That’s who I am. I’m not worried about (the number of) mound visits.”

NOTES

Infielder Luis Rengifo (left hamstring tightness) said he’ll be able to play “really soon.” …

Infielder Michael Stefanic (left quad strain) was unsure of a timetable for his return. Stefanic was hurt during Saturday’s game. He said on Sunday that he felt better. “I’m just disappointed,” he said. “You work very hard all season to get ready for this, and the first time it just kind of grabbed on me a little bit. I’ll heal and get back as soon as I can.” …

Right-hander José Cisnero arrived in camp on Sunday after being delayed in the Dominican Republic by visa issues. Cisnero had been working out at the Angels complex in the Dominican, so he said he’s ready to go. He was scheduled to throw live batting practice on Sunday.

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THE GAME: Jo Adell tripled and doubled in the Angels’ 7-7 tie against the Dodgers on Saturday at Tempe Diablo Stadium. The game, which was the Angels first of the spring, drew a sell-out crowd of 9,649. The Angels led until the eighth inning, when the Dodgers scored five runs to take the lead.

PITCHING REPORT: Right-hander Victor Mederos worked two scoreless innings, striking out three. In the first inning, the Dodgers had two on and one out, but Mederos struck out Teoscar Hernandez and got Austin Barnes on a flyout. … Right-hander Davis Daniel gave up one unearned run in two innings, striking out two. … Right-hander Guillo Zuñiga pitched a scoreless inning with two strikeouts. Zuniga, whose fastball reaches 101 mph, was acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals earlier this month. … Left-hander Adam Kolarek gave up a run against one of his former teams. Kolarek allowed two hits and a walk, and he hit a batter. … Minor-league pitchers Joel Hurtado and Michael Darrell-Hicks combined to give up five runs on two hits in the eighth inning.

HITTING REPORT: Adell tripled into the gap in left-center field, driving in a run, in his first at-bat against Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow. “The kid can hit the ball hard,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “Today he caught one off Glasnow, and people don’t go up there and get that fastball off Glasnow.” Adell then doubled in his second at-bat. Adell homered in his first game of the spring each of the previous two years. … Nolan Schanuel singled in the first inning, but then he got doubled off first base. On a fly ball to right field, the throw went home, and Schanuel didn’t realize Dodgers second baseman Mookie Betts came in behind him to take a throw from first baseman Kevin Padlo, the cutoff man. … Mike Trout hit a pair of fly outs in his two at-bats… Jake Marisnick drove in a run with a double. … Jordyn Adams pulled a double down the left-field line. … Jason Martin hit a two-run homer to tie the game at 7 in the eighth. Martin, a product of Orange Lutheran High, has not played in the majors since 2021. He played in South Korea last season.

DEFENSE REPORT: Shortstop Zach Neto mishandled a routine grounder behind second base, leading to a run… Second baseman Livan Soto made a backhand play in front of the bag and then a strong throw, just in time to get the third out and leave the bases loaded in the sixth inning.

INJURY REPORT: Infielder Michael Stefanic came out of the game with a left quad strain. He will be re-evaluated Sunday.

UP NEXT: Angels (RHP Andrew Wantz) vs. Royals (LHP Cole Ragans) at Tempe Diablo Stadium, Sunday, 12:10 p.m. PT Sunday, Bally Sports West, 830 AM; Angels (LHP Kenny Rosenberg) vs. Reds (RHP Hunter Greene), at Goodyear Ballpark, 12:05 p.m. Sunday

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TEMPE, Ariz. — Chase Silseth’s confidence was soaring last summer, after encouraging performances against some of the best teams in baseball.

The Angels right-hander was learning how to pitch, not just throw, and then it all came to a quick, frightening stop.

Silseth was hit in the head by a throw during a rundown, suffering a concussion that cost him most of the season’s final month.

“It sucked to get hit in the head,” Silseth said. “That whole September could have been a learning experience for me.”

Silseth came back to pitch one last game, allowing one run in four innings in the final weekend, but it wasn’t the same as the groove he had found before the head injury.

“That was a big, big, big, big confidence for me,” Silseth said. “When you pitch against one good team, you build confidence for the next good team. And I showed I could do it when I just stayed within myself, not to trying to blow it out. My stuff is good enough to get people out in the zone. Just have to get ahead in the count to get to all my nasty stuff.”

Before Silseth took the mound against the New York Yankees on July 19, his season had been a series of changes, from Triple-A to the majors and from starting to relieving.

The Angels had always believed in Silseth’s potential, but he had not shown that he could maintain his stuff beyond about 60 pitches. At times, there was an internal struggle within the organization over whether they should keep pushing him to get him to pitch deeper in games, or just settle with what he was and use him as a reliever.

Just after the All-Star break, though, Silseth returned from a trip to the minors for a start against the Yankees, and he struck out 10 in 5 2/3 innings, allowing one run.

He then gave up one run in five innings of a victory over the Atlanta Braves, and then he gave up two runs in seven innings, with 12 strikeouts, against the Seattle Mariners. Silseth followed that by pitching five scoreless innings against the Houston Astros.

Silseth didn’t get a chance to keep rolling because of the freak accident Aug. 26 in New York. He was running from the mound toward third base when first baseman Trey Cabbage’s throw to third hit Silseth in the temple.

He said he didn’t realize what happened at first. After the initial disturbing diagnosis of a concussion, Silseth expected to have a quick recovery. He said he felt fine until he started to work out, and then symptoms returned. He didn’t pitch again until Sept. 29.

Now, Silseth is in line to be the Angels’ No. 5 starter, although he’ll face some competition from left-hander José Suarez and right-hander Zach Plesac in spring training.

Silseth, 23, comes into camp after a winter of extra work on his legs, which he said is vital to help him maintain his stuff deeper into games.

“Late in games last year, I was able to keep my stuff,” Silseth said. “It was a difference maker. Killing my legs (in the gym). Hopefully it’s working.”

NOTES

Infielder Luis Rengifo felt some tightness in his left hamstring during a baserunning drill Friday and was not available to play in the Angels’ first game of the spring on Saturday. Rengifo is expected to miss just a few days. “When he felt it, he took himself out,” manager Ron Washington said. “He didn’t try to work through it. He didn’t try to push it. He took himself out. That was very, very smart.” …

Third baseman Anthony Rendon was not in Saturday’s lineup because he told Washington that he preferred to wait until Sunday to play his first Cactus League game. …

Right-hander Andrew Wantz is scheduled to start for the Angels at home Sunday, with left-hander Kenny Rosenberg starting against the Cincinnati Reds on the road. Right-hander Griffin Canning will start Monday, and he’ll be followed by right-hander Zach Plesac on Tuesday, left-hander Tyler Anderson on Wednesday, left-hander Patrick Sandoval on Thursday and left-hander Reid Detmers on Friday. Chase Silseth is scheduled to follow Sandoval on Thursday.

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You may have seen the news: Rob Manfred, commissioner of baseball – and, to many of us, steward of a sport he doesn’t really seem to care for or care that much about – is going to serve one more term. Come 2029, he’s outta here.

So when’s the parade?

In fairness, the results of Manfred’s commissionership are mixed. The adjustments to the rules a year ago that resulted in a quicker pace and a more entertaining game go into his credit column. The pitch clock and anti-shift rules transformed the game – though I’m still waiting for an umpire to make an illegal defense call – and I’ve got to believe it’s only time until the automatic ball-strike (ABS) system (i.e., bots calling pitches) replaces the way overmatched home-plate umpire.

Meanwhile, the replay system has increased the chances that calls (outside of ball-strike decisions) are correct, and thus decreased the chances that managers make spectacles of themselves in discussions with the umps. (If you miss those arguments, there are always Earl Weaver and Tom Lasorda clips on YouTube.)

But there are so many negatives in his nine years as commissioner. Where to start?

The lockout from December 2021 through March 2022, for example, didn’t accomplish what management wanted. It did halt offseason business, and it showed a new generation of players why the Players Association exists, why it’s the strongest in professional sports, and why the owners are not their friends. The agreement that came out of that lockout runs through 2026, so Manfred – who originally came onto MLB’s radar as a labor lawyer in 1987 – will have one more opportunity to play Deal or No Deal before exiting the stage after the 2028 season.

And the inaction concerning the Houston Astros’ 2017 cheating scandal remains a blot on Manfred’s résumé. He suspended manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow, but key players went unpunished, having been granted immunity. More egregiously, owner Jim Crane was allowed to act like he wasn’t responsible for whatever happened on his watch.

Oh, and Manfred’s reference to the World Series trophy as a “piece of metal,” ostensibly to explain why the championship couldn’t be vacated, will live in infamy long after Manfred’s apology. The best response was from Justin Turner: “For him to devalue it the way he did yesterday just tells me how out of touch he is with the players in this game. At this point, the only thing devaluing that trophy is that it says ‘Commissioner’ on it.”

More recently, there is Manfred’s status – inactive, basically – during the A’s squirrel derby of an attempt to move to Las Vegas. And there is the ongoing circus surrounding one of the most basic of this game’s talismans, the uniform.

Under Manfred’s watch, the game has basically sold its soul to Nike, so we have insipid “City Connect” uniforms and generic, boring All-Star Game outfits in place of the kaleidoscope of jerseys and team colors that helped make the Midsummer Classic special. And now Nike has outsourced its manufacture of game uniforms to Fanatics, and the players’ reactions to the stuff that greeted them when they arrived at spring training this year ranged from “Yuck” to “Are you freaking kidding me?”

And that was before everyone realized that the uniform pants are darned near see-through. We’ve asked for transparency, but this is ridiculous.

Is Manfred the worst commissioner in North American professional sports? Probably not, as long as Don Garber runs Major League Soccer.

Garber sold his league’s soul to Apple TV+ for $250 million a season – $8.6 million a team this year, going down to $8.33 million next year when San Diego enters the league. Some might hail him as a visionary for anticipating how sports TV might be upended, but I believe he was merely chasing the money at the expense of exposing his sport to larger numbers of fans. He then jammed the Leagues Cup tournament with Liga MX into the middle of the schedule, a pure cash grab that disregarded players’ health and safety. Then he threatened to take his league’s teams out of the historic U.S. Open Cup because of schedule overload, and whose fault was that?

If I had to rate the commissioners, it would be in this order: Adam Silver, NBA; Roger Goodell, NFL; Cathy Engelbert, WNBA; Gary Bettman, NHL, Manfred and Garber.

But all have had their “ugh” moments, and maybe we’ve been looking at commissioners and their jobs all wrong through the years. They work at the pleasure of the owners, so if you’re looking for decisions based on the best interest of the sport … well, like it or not, the best interest is whatever the owners (i.e., the commissioners’ bosses) say it is.

That helps explain why Crane didn’t get suspended in the Astros’ scandal. The last baseball commissioner with the guts to take on an owner was Fay Vincent, who banned George Steinbrenner in 1990 for “life,” a suspension that was rescinded in 1993. Vincent himself was gone in September of 1992, forced to resign by a cabal of owners who didn’t appreciate that their desire to pick a fight with the union was not shared by their commissioner.

His replacement was Brewers owner Bud Selig, who presided over the first season in 89 years without a World Series when a strike ended the season in June 1994.  Eventually Selig figured out how to get along with the Players Association and its executive director, Don Fehr, enough to avoid additional work stoppages – and launch the World Baseball Classic.

And while he never was a dynamic commissioner, at least you couldn’t say Selig didn’t like baseball. He even liked baseball writers enough to visit them in the press box once in a while. Do we actually know how often Manfred shows up at a ballpark?

We can hope, fervently, that the next commissioner will actually be a baseball person. It doesn’t necessarily have to be someone like the late A. Bartlett Giamatti, who revered the game with a poet’s soul, but whoever it is should at least enjoy watching the product and not be hesitant to show it, OK?

And since we have five years to figure this out, I want your input. If you were commissioner, what would your top three priorities be? Best responses will be printed in an upcoming column.

jalexander@scng.com 

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TEMPE, Ariz. — Zach Plesac is trying to get back his old self, with a new repertoire.

Plesac spent part of his winter remaking himself at Driveline, the high-tech baseball training center.

Plesac, 29, said he’s replaced his four-seam fastball with a two-seamer, and he’s changed his slider into more of a sweeper, which he hopes will help induce more swings and misses.

If it works, the Angels could get a steal for the $1 million, one-year deal they gave Plesac last month.

Plesac had a 3.32 ERA in his first two big-league seasons with Cleveland. The past three years, though, saw him post a 4.72 ERA, including a 7.59 ERA in a nightmarish five-start season in 2023. He spent the second half in Triple-A.

Despite the recent struggles, Plesac clings to the positives within those forgettable seasons.

As recently as 2022, for example, Plesac’s ERA was 4.31, which included 11 quality starts. His 46% quality start rate was higher than the major-league average of 35%. Angels starters had quality starts in just 30% of their outings in 2023.

Last season, Plesac had two starts in which he gave up at least five runs and three in which he allowed three or fewer.

The numbers from his past few years tell a story of a pitcher who is sometimes very good, and sometimes very bad, which offers just enough hope for him and the Angels.

“It could have looked different on paper, but that’s just the mind game that this game is,” Plesac said. “You have to just continue to be confident in yourself. As soon as you lose that confidence, it’s way harder.”

Plesac said he’s viewing this spring as a “fresh start” with a new team, and a chance to reclaim who he was in 2019 and 2020.

“It’s really just remaining confident and just knowing that my stuff is good and not trying to do too much,” Plesac said. “It’s not like I’m far off from being the dominant pitcher in the league that I was.”

Angels manager Ron Washington said he likes what he’s seen so far from Plesac.

“The guy has some pitching skill,” Washington said. “I think more than anything the past couple years he got in his own way. Hopefully this spring, he can get out of his way so the talent he has to offer can show up daily.”

The Angels are stretching Plesac out to be a starter. He currently needs to pitch his way into a five-man rotation that tentatively includes left-handers Patrick Sandoval, Reid Detmers and Tyler Anderson and right-handers Griffin Canning and Chase Silseth.

If Plesac doesn’t make the Angels rotation, he is likely to start at Triple-A. He could also pitch out of the bullpen.

The Angels’ gamble on Plesac has significant upside because he would still be under control for at least two more seasons after 2024.

NOTES

Washington said he’s planning to use “every single guy” from his projected major-league roster in the Cactus League opener Saturday, although some of them may get only an at-bat and not play in the field. Right-hander Victor Mederos will pitch the first two innings, followed by right-hander Davis Daniel. …

Washington said he’s expecting Brandon Drury’s defense at second to be much improved this season. “You’re going to see a different guy out there,” Washington said. So far, Drury has worked out only at second base, but Washington said he will get some time at first and third this spring. The Angels prefer to move Luis Rengifo around and have Drury remain in one place.

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TEMPE, Ariz. — Ron Washington doesn’t care that Anthony Rendon is no longer a power hitter.

The Angels manager said he’s still planning to hit his third baseman in the cleanup spot.

“You don’t have to be in the fourth spot and third spot and be a home run hitter,” Washington said. “You’ve just to be a consistent hitter, and that’s what Rendon is. We’ve just got to get him back to consistency. But hitting in the middle of the lineup, that’s where Rendon is going to be.”

None of this is going to apply if Rendon is on the injured list, as he’s been for most of the last three seasons. When Rendon is there, though, Washington wants to take advantage of what he does well, rather than worrying about what he doesn’t.

Rendon averaged 26 homers during his final four seasons with the Washington Nationals, but he’s hit only 22 homers in 200 games with the Angels.

Over the last two seasons, though, Rendon has a .269 average with runners in scoring position, with only 13 strikeouts in 110 plate appearances.

Besides having Rendon in the middle, Washington already has some other firm ideas about how he’d like his lineup to look during the season.

He’s already changed his mind about the leadoff spot. Last week he said he wanted first baseman Nolan Schanuel to hit leadoff, which was a nod to his .402 on-base percentage in his big league debut last year. Now, though, Washington said he’d rather have Schanuel hit second.

“The way he can handle the bat, I think he can be a big asset for us in that second hole,” Washington said. “We’ll work it out down here in spring training and see where it goes. If anything changes, I’m quite sure you guys will ask me that question. But right now down, when we start, I’m gonna put him in the second hole.”

Washington said he changed his mind because he wanted “somebody that’s got a little bit of speed” leading off. He identified outfielder Mickey Moniak and infielder Luis Rengifo as the most likely candidates for the top of the lineup. Each hit leadoff for stretches last season.

Shortstop Zach Neto also hit leadoff at times in 2023, but Neto told Washington that he wants to hit ninth.

“He said he loves restarting,” Washington said. “He loves turning the lineup over. He wants to be on the bag and score some runs for those guys.”

Washington said he’s tentatively planning on Mike Trout hitting third, followed by Rendon, outfielder Taylor Ward, second baseman Brandon Drury and catcher Logan O’Hoppe.

The No. 8 spot could be either Jo Adell or Aaron Hicks, with Neto rounding out the lineup.

Although Washington said he’d rather have a set lineup and not too many platoons, Rengifo and Hicks are much better against left-handed pitchers, and Moniak is much better against righties.

Matt Thaiss, who is in line to be the backup catcher, is more likely to start against right-handed pitchers.

NOTES

The Angels’ Cactus League opener, against the Dodgers on Saturday at Tempe Diablo Stadium, is already sold out. Shohei Ohtani is not scheduled to play in that game. The Angels play the Dodgers again on March 5, at the Dodgers’ home ballpark in Glendale. …

Outfielder Nelson Rada, one of the Angels’ top prospects, is in big league camp, even though he’s just 18. “He doesn’t carry himself like he’s 18,” Washington said. “He has a lot of confidence in what he’s doing. We’ll see what that confidence does once we start getting him in some real games against some big league players and big league pitching. But right now this kid is handling himself well.”

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Jim Alexander: The NBA’s All-Star Weekend has come and gone, and I’ll confess I didn’t watch a bit of it live (extenuating circumstances, because I was in the car headed home from Riviera both Saturday and Sunday evening). The only part of the weekend I really wanted to see was the Steph-vs.-Sabrina 3-point shootout Saturday night, and that turned out to be a great show. Watching the YouTube clip I was struck most by the sheer joy of their competition, coupled with the understanding of its sociological significance.

The game itself? Further evidence that All-Star exhibitions in contact sports are increasingly irrelevant. The NFL finally did the right thing by deep-sixing the Pro Bowl game in favor of a weekend of skills competitions and flag football. The NHL’s 3-on-3 competition is no longer an experiment, but it’s still a gimmick.

And the NBA’s version? The 211-186 final score should be the final epitaph for what once was an at least reasonably interesting event. Nobody wants to get hurt, therefore nobody even tries to play defense, and it becomes a glorified 3-point contest. I love the NBA, but this is not the league’s finest weekend.

(Baseball gets a pass, sort of, since its All-Star Game still at least resembles real baseball. My biggest gripe there is the insistence on Nike-inspired – or uninspired, actually – generic uniforms instead of each team’s colors on display. But that’s another subject for another time, especially since the new uniform manufacturer, Fanatics, has caused such an uproar this spring.)

Anyway, Mirjam, what was your reaction to the weekend’s scoring orgy? And what are your ideas for improving it, or can it be salvaged at all?

Mirjam: The NBA certainly wants to salvage it. As intrepid Lakers podcaster Anthony Irwin pointed out yesterday when I chatted with him: The All-Star Game remains one of the NBA’s true tentpole events – which is why it’s so damaging when the show the players put on is so lackluster. But like another NBA reporter, my buddy Evan Barnes, pointed out – the All-Star Game is also very corporate – from all the trappings to the attendees to the players, who are all, at this point, corporations unto themselves. So, no, as you point out, Jim, they don’t want to risk their bodies and any earning potential for an exhibition.

So what to do? Some people – my husband – say lean into the gimmicky nature, make it a full-on MTV Rock ’N Jock-style affair, with 25-point baskets and/or, as Trae Young suggested, an in arena-emcee to taunt and trash talk players like they’re at the Drew League or Rucker Park. And I suppose there’s something to be said for being transparent about how unserious it is, but I don’t know that that will make it that much more fun to watch.

The reason everyone enjoyed Steph vs. Sabrina was because they were actually competing! That’s the not-so-secret sauce about sports – the competition. Take that away and what are we really doing?

So, how to fix it?

Maybe – and I heard or read this a couple places too – move it to the beginning of the season when guys are getting warmed up for a long grind and not in the middle of it, and put the in-season tournament where the All-Star Game is, so they can be chasing the bigger extra money as a carrot, as some of the players suggested?

Maybe???

Honestly, I don’t know. Maybe, at some point, the players will realize that it won’t make business sense for them or their bottom lines, either, to actively diminish what should be a major marketing tool for the league. Maybe, at some point, someone will want to come in and bust someone’s butt and pride will get involved. But definitely more people are going to start tuning out – I watched 60 seconds and turned it off. Instead I finished cleaning the kitchen. That was more fun.

Jim: Ouch. We need to make sure Adam Silver reads that passage.

I had the thought of moving the in-season tournament final to that mid-season slot, too. If we have to have one, why not use the week-long interruption of the season to really make the final a big deal? The only possible glitch there is that we’re only talking about two teams rather than something that is a league-wide celebration.

But how about this: Since the bag is what everybody’s chasing anyway, if you’re going to have an All-Star Game why not make it the central motivation. Winning team gets $1 million a man. Losing team gets $100,000 a man. Think guys would defend – would compete – under those circumstances?

Otherwise, I like the idea of that looser, more informal, grittier atmosphere. I’ve often wondered why the Drew League doesn’t have a TV contract, because I bet those midsummer games would get some viewership!

Next topic today: UCLA and USC play each other in men’s basketball for the final time as Pac-12 institutions this Saturday at Pauley Pavilion, barring a conference tournament meeting. At this point, the only way either team has a prayer of getting to March Madness seems to be to win that conference tournament next month.

As of today, UCLA (14-12, 9-6 in conference) is 91st in the kenpom.com metric (which the committee doesn’t use in its evaluation, as far as I know) and 105th in the NCAA’s NET ranking (which it does). The Bruins are 0-6 in Quad I games and have a loss to CSUN and a late scare by UC Riverside on their non-conference resume. And that’s with a recent six-game winning streak, which was snapped by Utah Sunday at Pauley. They have three potential opportunities left for a Quad 1 win in the regular season: at Washington State (20-6 and 37th in the NET) and Washington (14-12, 70th) next week, and at home the final week against Arizona (20-5, third).

USC? A dead team walking. (And, full disclosure, this was the same team I thought was poised to make a run to the tournament. Gotta own that one.) The Trojans are 10-16, 4-11 in conference, 1-8 on the road, and also 0-6 against Quad 1 opposition (with the same opportunities left that the Bruins have), plus early season losses to UC Irvine and Long Beach State. They’re 108th in the NET, 104th in kenpom.com, and need a miracle run at the tournament that I don’t believe they have in them. Case in point was last week’s overtime loss to Colorado, when they had opportunities but kept spoiling them with dumb plays.

I’ll say it again: The best chance SoCal – at least the part of SoCal that doesn’t follow San Diego State – has at a tournament presence is Russell Turner’s Irvine squad (18-7, 79th in the NET, 76th in kenpom). The Anteaters’ issue? They play in a one-bid league, and strange things tend to happen to them in the Big West tournament.

Other than that, it’ll be a good time to be out of the country for March Madness.

Mirjam: Indeed – though the USC and UCLA women are gonna put on a show, I’d bet.

As far as their peers on the men’s teams, though? You and seemingly everyone expected so much more from the Trojans – and even of the baby-faced Bruins.

I’m re-reading some of the prognostications and, wooooo, we pundits were a wee bit off.

FanNation: How good will USC men’s basketball be in 2023-24? “With leading scorer Boogie Ellis returning and USC adding a marquee recruiting class, the Trojans are expected to have one of the best teams of the Andy Enfield era”

LA Times: “USC could make a run in Pac-12 with talented backcourt”

And UCLA? CBS Sports on UCLA’s Aday Mara: “If coach Mick Cronin can figure out how to maximize Mara’s enormous frame alongside returning center Adem Bona, it could make UCLA a matchup nightmare.”

Alas, that’s why they play the games. And that’s why, in UCLA’s case, they call it growing pains. I don’t think anyone, at this point, is all too surprised it took the Bruins a good chunk of the season to find a rhythm, and that they’d still stub their toe like they did last weekend against Utah. And still, there’s a sliver of hope beyond taking the Pac-12 Tourney, I think, if they win out in their final five games? Which makes Saturday’s game a biggie.

As for USC? The Trojans will be happy to get it over with. What will this stinker of a season mean for Andy Enfield? I know people are talking about that, but also – he’s had success in his time in L.A. On his watch, USC is 215-145 and he’s piloted the Trojans to five NCAA Tournament appearances and one of USC’s two Elite Eight bids in the past 70 years. That should count for something.

Jim: I guess, as is true in football, the big question here is how competitive the L.A. schools will be in the Big Ten next season. UCLA will be better as its roster matures, presuming everyone is back – never a certainty in the transfer portal era – and I’ve got to think Enfield’s track record will earn him a pass. But consider: There are seven Big Ten teams currently in the NET Top 75 (Purdue 2, Wisconsin 21, Michigan State 24, Nebraska 47, Northwestern 57, Iowa 65, Ohio State 65, and Minnesota just missing at 76). The Pac-12 has four: Arizona, WSU, Utah (46), Washington (70).

Then again, consider what Arizona, ASU, Utah and Colorado will be dealing with in the Big 12: Five teams in the Top 20 (Houston 1, Iowa State 7, BYU 11, Baylor 13, Kansas 17) and six others in the top 75. I know these things can change from year to year, but that is a brutally tough conference.

Last subject: Who are Angel fans more outraged at this week?

Arte Moreno told our Jeff Fletcher – exclusively, by the way – that not only is the team off the market but that he’ll be “here long term” – and added, “I’m not going to spend money just to show that we’re going to spend money unless it’s going to substantially change the team.” (I’m sure that Scott Boras loved hearing that, as the agent for the two remaining marquee free agents on the market as of this moment, Blake Snell and Cody Bellinger.)

And two days later Anthony Rendon – already a target for not playing very often, and not well enough when he did play – basically invited ridicule when he described baseball as never “a top priority … It’s a job. I do this to make a living. My faith and my family come first, before this job.” There was, of course, more nuance to his interview session than that, but if there’s a better way to assure that you’ll be booed when introduced at the home opener, I don’t know what it is.

Mirjam: If that messaging doesn’t make fans want to invest their hard-earned money – and time – into the team (minus Shohei Ohtani), what will!?

But, yes, the takeaway from Rendon’s presser being that baseball isn’t his top priority is on one hand a little unfair because his more important priorities are family and faith and well, of course!

But by the same token, of course those are more important priorities than your job – no matter how seemingly cool your job is, no one would dispute that. It’s just that he doesn’t appear to think his job is especially cool, never mind that, at its core, it’s playing a game for millions of dollars.

Rendon strikes me as a good example for that old analogy: Lottery winners who were happy people before they won the lottery will continue to be happy rich people; lottery winners who were unhappy before they won, will be unhappy rich people.

As for Moreno? I guess Angels fans are stuck with him, considering he spurned a reported offer of more than $3 billion for the club? And how far can the Angels really ever go with him controlling the purse strings in his particular, peculiar way?

Tell you what: I commend the Angels fans who stick with their team year in and year out. That’s real loyalty. Or masochism. Somewhere in the middle.

 

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TEMPE, Ariz. — Late in the 2023 season, Griffin Canning was on the mound and Logan O’Hoppe was behind the plate, and the right-hander could tell that much had changed in six months.

“My last couple starts with him, I felt we were in a really good rhythm,” Canning said. “I like throwing any pitch, any count, even if the scouting report is saying. ‘We’re going to try to avoid this pitch.’ If I feel like I can throw a certain pitch to a certain guy, I like to do that.”

Canning said O’Hoppe developed a better feel for adjusting to game situations in real time, rather than sticking religiously to what had been discussed hours earlier.

“It’s remembering how we got a guy out in previous at-bats, feeling the rhythm of the game,” Canning said. “It’s a good feeling when the catcher puts down what you’re thinking. It was us learning more about him and him learning more about us.”

There were times, especially early last season, when O’Hoppe’s inexperience in the big leagues showed, some around the team said privately.

O’Hoppe, who turned 24 earlier this month, readily admits as much.

“I know I have a lot of room to grow, and I’ll be saying that for as long as I’m playing,” O’Hoppe said. “It does help to have an idea of what I’m looking for going into those meetings and just speaking the language a little bit. I know I was drinking out of a fire hose a little bit, as every player is when he makes his debut. I do feel a little bit more confident going into those meetings now. I have a better idea of what’s going on.”

O’Hoppe is now part of a new group who will collaborate on game planning with the pitchers, including pitching coach Barry Enright, bullpen coach Steve Karsay and run prevention coordinator Alex Cultice. Enright and Cultice worked together with the Arizona Diamondbacks last year.

“Barry and Alex have been awesome with the game-planning side of things,” O’Hoppe said.

The Angels, who ranked 23rd in the majors in ERA last season, are hoping that a more experienced O’Hoppe can improve their pitching.

O’Hoppe also could help the Angels score more runs with a full season of doing what he did last year.

O’Hoppe missed four months because of shoulder surgery, but he still managed to hit 14 homers. He hit .236 with a .796 OPS. The major-league average for a catcher was .697.

“Just continue what I was doing last year,” O’Hoppe said. “Just feel out the game a little, assess where I’m at and what the game’s asking me to do. I feel like I have a better understanding of what I’m capable of doing at the plate. This offseason, I worked on things that I felt I needed to improve on, so really expanding my brain a little bit on what the game is asking me to do.”

O’Hoppe said his added comfort in the big leagues was apparent from the start of spring training, during his physical.

“This is the first spring training my career where they told me that my blood pressure was normal,” O’Hoppe said with a smile. “It was high in the years past. Definitely more relaxed this year. More excited than anything to get going.”

NOTES

Right-hander Guillo Zuñiga, who was acquired in exchange for cash considerations from the St. Louis Cardinals, impressed manager Ron Washington during his live batting practice session Tuesday. Zuñiga, 25, averages 98.9 mph with his fastball. “Live arm,” Washington said. “We’ve just got to keep working on him being more consistent in the strike zone and don’t overthrow his secondary pitches.” Zuñiga can be optioned for two more seasons. …

Washington said he’s not sure how many of his veteran everyday players will be in the lineup when the Angels open their Cactus League schedule Saturday. He said players like Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon will decide for themselves when they are ready to start playing. Washington added that he prefers to start using players for two or three games in a row early in the spring, though. …

Former Angels left-hander Joe Saunders is in camp as a special instructor. Saunders not only pitched for the Angels, but he was with the Texas Rangers when Washington managed there. “He’s been through it,” Washington said. “We have a lot of young pitchers that haven’t been through it. And he can give them a perspective on how you deal with the downside of it. It’s not so much the upside. It’s the downside that you have to deal with. And he’s been there. And I’m so happy he is here. Because he’s been all of that. He’s been good. He’s been bad. He’s been indifferent. He had to struggle. He had to fight. He’s been through everything that any of these kids will ever experience. And it’s nice that he’s here to give him that wisdom he has.”

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TEMPE, Ariz. — This is a critical spring training for Jo Adell.

Again.

Adell, who was once one of the top prospects in baseball, has seen his stock slip over the past few years of struggles in the big leagues. It’s created the narrative that each new season was his chance to finally turn the corner.

Now, though, the added element is that Adell is finally out of options, which means the Angels won’t be able to send him to the minors. He is still 24 years old and talented enough that he would certainly be claimed if placed on waivers.

“The way the game goes, you’re gonna be where you’re supposed to be at the end of the day,” Adell said. “Right now it’s Angel red. I expect to go out and help the team, so that’s where I’m at.”

New Angels manager Ron Washington said his first look at Adell this spring has shown him a player ready to make changes, though. Washington said he believes Adell is more open to working with coaches than he had been in the past.

“He had been trying to take care of himself, instead of letting him try to take care of himself and us taking care of him too,” Washington said. “I think we got him to the point where he’s allowing us to be a part of what he’s trying to do, instead of trying to do it by himself.”

The Angels have two new hitting coaches, Johnny Washington and Tim Laker. Adell also spent a couple days over the winter working out with former All-Star Matt Holliday, who works for Scott Boras, Adell’s agent.

Adell said Holliday and the Angels’ hitting coaches have encouraged him to simplify the game.

“We’re getting back to the basics of really what it’s all about,” Adell said. “It’s just hitting. It’s about finding a good pitch. It’s the simplicity of it all. We can get caught up in the numbers, but at the end of the day, it’s simple. It’s approach.”

Adell’s approach in the past has seemingly been about power, with little concern for contact.

He has a career .214 average in 619 big-league plate appearances, with a 35% strikeout rate. He has hit 18 big-league homers.

Past hitting coaches have tried to get Adell to shorten his swing with two strikes, telling him he still has so much power that he will still be hitting the ball hard, and possibly still over the fence.

Ron Washington said he’d also like to see Adell use the whole field.

“It’s not just pounding the ball out the ballpark,” Washington said. “It’s about hitting the ball around the ballpark. The whole ballpark. We’re trying to get him in that frame of mind where he starts learning how to use the whole ballpark, because his power is his power. And you don’t need to use it in just one area. And that’s the type of thing we’ve been talking to him about. And as I see it, it’s sinking in.”

Mickey Moniak is also out of options. He and Adell join an outfield mix with Mike Trout, Taylor Ward and Aaron Hicks. It’s possible that all five outfielders could be on the roster.

Trout and Ward are the top two outfielders. Moniak had a good year last year, and Hicks, who is a switch-hitter who does well against lefties, could be a good platoon complement to Moniak.

Where that leaves Adell remains to be seen.

At least he can be confident that he won’t be in the minors.

“I’m just looking forward to the consistency of just being out there,” Adell said. “Being able to play this on a full scale and get myself a full year and an opportunity to go and be on the field every day and in my same routine, same approach and just commit to that approach and see what happens.”

UNION HEAD VISITS

Tony Clark, head of the MLB Players Association, said it “piqued our interest” when the Angels placed seven players on waivers in August, which was a clear attempt to get under the luxury-tax threshold, but as of now they aren’t sure if it’s something that needs to be addressed.

“We’ll examine to what extent it’s a trend and then, come bargaining, if it’s something that we need to have a more tangible conversation about,” Clark said. “But at this point we’re taking notes.”

Clark spoke to reporters after he and other union officials held their annual meeting with the Angels, before Tuesday’s workout. The Angels were the fourth stop as Clark tours all 30 camps.

The Angels made moves that would have pushed them above the luxury-tax threshold just before the July trade deadline, but after the team fell out of the race in August, they reversed course. They allowed five players to go on waivers, and ended up finishing less than $30,000 below the $233 million threshold.

The Angels have consistently come up just short of the threshold, which is precisely the type of behavior the union wants to discourage. The union objects to a salary cap, and the Angels seem to have treated the luxury tax as a hard cap, even though it’s not.

“As we saw over the course of last year, more and more teams understand what it is,” Clark said. “It is a threshold and you have the option to make decisions that go past it. In this last round of bargaining, those thresholds increased. But historically, yes, the Angels have been right up to it and they haven’t haven’t made a decision to go over it in the last 20 years, give or take.”

Clark also said that there didn’t seem to a concern among Angels players that the team is using minor-league facilities for spring training for a fourth consecutive year.

“We haven’t heard complaints at this point,” Clark said. “Obviously from a health and safety standpoint, that’s first and foremost and we haven’t heard that. So we’ll we’ll see.”

NOTES

Right-hander Victor Mederos will start for the Angels in their Cactus League opener against the Dodgers on Saturday. Washington said Mederos is ahead of the other starters because he was among the first pitchers to throw a live bullpen session. Two of the Angels’ projected rotation members – Tyler Anderson and Griffin Canning – threw live batting practice Tuesday for the first time this spring. …

This year, the Angels have been keeping track of the count as pitchers have worked in live bullpens, as opposed to the more traditional approach of simply having the pitchers throw a fixed number of pitches to each hitter. Washington said it’s part of an effort to help pitchers learn how to more efficiently retire hitters. “The quicker you can get a batter out, you can get deeper in the ballgame,” Washington said. “The time of ‘five (innings) and dive’ or ‘4 2/3 and dive,’ we want to eliminate that.”

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TEMPE, Ariz. — Anthony Rendon isn’t about to say what anyone wants to hear if he doesn’t believe it.

The Angels’ embattled third baseman spoke to the media for the first time this spring on Monday, and he reiterated his stance that he views baseball as nothing more than a job.

“It’s never been a top priority for me,” Rendon said. “It’s a job. I do this to make a living. My faith and my family come first, before this job.”

Rendon conceded that it is “a priority” and that’s why he’s still here, and why he continues having medical procedures to repair the injuries he’s suffered playing baseball.

“I don’t want to have surgeries,” said Rendon, who had surgery in 2021 and 2022, but not 2023. “You think I like going under the knife and being in pain the majority of my time? I can’t even pick up my kids. I can’t walk. You think I enjoy that? I don’t want to do that. I want to hang out with my kids. I want to teach them how to ride a bike, but I can’t. I can’t walk. It sucks.”

Rendon, 33, said he’s always had this opinion. He said this winter he found a 2014 pro and con list he’d written about continuing to play baseball. Now that he has four kids, who spend most of their time at the family home in the Houston area, the pull away from the game has grown stronger.

“Being away from the family, after having kids and knowing and realizing that love that you get from your family, from your spouse from your kids, that far outweighs anything that you can probably ever accomplish in a job atmosphere,” Rendon said. “So that’s what’s become more difficult as I’ve gotten older.”

Manager Ron Washington came to Rendon’s defense, saying that nothing he said should be interpreted as if he isn’t committed to baseball.

“He wasn’t saying he doesn’t care about baseball,” Washington said. “He’s here. He’s fired up. He’s ready to go. Let’s just watch him and see how it goes. Because he’s ready to go, man. I miss my family. I care about my family. He said his family and his faith is first. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with that.”

Many people can identify with those feelings, but it still likely won’t sit well with some fans who are already frustrated with Rendon because of what’s become of his Angels career.

He signed a seven-year, $245-million deal prior to the 2020 season, but he’s missed at least half of the last three seasons. He had hip surgery in 2021, wrist surgery in 2022 and a fractured shin in 2023.

In between that, Rendon has hit .235 with a .701 OPS over the last three seasons.

Rendon understands that he’s going to be criticized by fans, but it doesn’t seem to bother him.

“They don’t know me,” he said. “They only know the surface. They’re a fan. They might know that I’m 6 feet tall or 190 pounds or whatever it might be, but they don’t know who I am as an individual if they never sat down and spoke to me. Everyone’s gonna have your opinion. You can’t make everybody happy. I’m gonna be honest.”

NOTES

Washington addressed the team before the first full squad workout on Monday, saying that he expected that everyone would be motivated because “that’s what I do. We’ll go find out, because now you gotta get on the field and implement the things I said. So we’ll see how the progression works. But almost everybody was here for at least five days, so they understand how we’re going about our business. I just want them to take care of business, and the rest to take care of itself.” …

Washington said he hasn’t yet decided who will start on the mound for the Angels in their exhibition opener on Saturday against the Dodgers. …

Washington said that third base coach Eric Young and first base coach Bo Porter will have equal roles in coaching the outfielders, because he feels that both have too much to offer for one to take a back seat to the other.

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TEMPE, Ariz. — The annual questions surrounding Mike Trout have only grown louder.

Trout has enjoyed a Hall of Fame career — albeit one recently stalled by injuries — while the Angels have struggled. The confluence has caused people from coast to coast to question why Trout simply doesn’t ask the Angels for a trade.

Trout, who signed a 12-year, $426-million contract five years ago, said it’s not in his nature to “take the easy way out.”

“When I signed that contract, I’m loyal,” Trout said before the Angels first full-squad workout of the spring on Monday. “I want to win a championship here. The overall picture of winning a championship or getting to the playoffs here is bigger satisfaction than bailing out and just taking the easy way out. So I think that’s been my mindset. Maybe down the road, if some things change, but that’s been my mindset ever since the trade speculation came up.”

When asked what could change, Trout said, “I can’t predict the future.” He then said he’s enjoyed his relationships with “everyone in the clubhouse and everyone in the organization” and that the change might come someday “if … people feel different.”

Those “people,” obviously start at the top.

Trout said he’s had regular dialogue with owner Arte Moreno, president John Carpino and general manager Perry Minasian, and he’s impressed upon them his desire to build a winning team.

“I’m in Perry’s ear,” Trout said. “I’m in the front office’s ear every day. We’ll see what happens.”

Trout said he’s been specifically “pushing” the Angels to add from the remaining free agents, a group that is led by pitchers Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery and outfielder Cody Bellinger. Trout didn’t say which free agents he’s endorsed.

“There’s a few guys out there that I’ve talked to that want to be here for sure,” Trout said. “I’m competitive. The guys that are out there are great players and great people. It would be foolish to say I don’t want them to come here.”

Asked how receptive Moreno has been to adding to the payroll with players of that caliber, Trout said: “Yes and no. You know how Arte is.”

Last week Moreno said in an interview with the Southern California News Group that he had planned to “set the budget lower” and he was “not going to spend money just to show that we’re going to spend money unless it’s going to substantially change the team.”

One of the most significant ways that the Angels have saved money recently is by letting Shohei Ohtani go. He signed as a free agent with the Dodgers, taking a heavily deferred 10-year, $700-million deal.

Trout said he wasn’t surprised that Ohtani ended up with the Dodgers because “everyone said the Dodgers.” Asked if he knew before Ohtani became a free agent that he was leaving, Trout said “my gut feeling was he was leaving, but deep down there was a slight chance he was coming back. There wasn’t anything in particular where he was saying he was going to leave.”

The Angels never even had a winning season with Trout and Ohtani, in large part because the two stars were rarely healthy and productive at the same time.

Trout missed significant chunks of each of the past three seasons, while Ohtani was posting historic numbers. Trout suffered a strained calf that cost him five months of 2021 and a back injury that knocked him out for five weeks of 2022. Last season he fractured a bone in his hand, costing him half the season.

Trout acknowledged that his absences have hurt the Angels enough that he can’t simply feel the Angels have failed to support him with a good enough roster.

“If I’m on the field, that makes difference, sure,” Trout said. “It crushes me. I hate talking about it. I always want to be out there with the guys. Even if I’m 60%, I try to go out there and play. It kills me when I have to come in the clubhouse and not see my name in that lineup.”

Trout said last winter that he adopted a new health regimen designed to avoid the preventable soft tissue injuries, and he believed it worked.

“Before the hand injury is the best my body’s felt,” he said, adding that he plans to “keep the same routine.”

It remains to be seen what that will look like when the season is over. Trout is a three-time MVP, but he’s now 32 and coming off a season in which his numbers were down even before he was hurt. He hit .263 with an .858 OPS, both career lows.

The metrics showed his performance in center field was improved, despite his age. Trout said he wants to continue playing center field “until I can’t.” He said if the team wants to have a discussion about him moving, “then we’ll have those discussions.”

Trout also figures to get more time at DH now that Ohtani is gone. Trout acknowledged it could help him get off his feet, but he said he “can’t really sit still.”

While the high-energy Trout is definitely antsy, for now he’s content to remain in the same uniform.

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