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Well it’s been a hectic start to June. The Angels beat the first place Giants in convincing fashion. They are 6GB from the Oakland A’s but neither them or the second place Astros have been convincing about who will run the AL West come September. The Angels’ relatively weak schedule for June will help them gain some ground on the rest of the AL West.
Trout got out of his boot
Perhaps the biggest news for the Angels heading into June is that Mike Trout is out of his walking boot. The initial timeline of the injury was 6-8 weeks which he is still on pace to achieve. Trout will still miss the entire month of June. But it is still a welcoming sight for every baseball fan that Mike Trout is healing and progressing to getting back on the field.
Max Stassi made his return from a concussion that put him out for 26 games. He immediately made an impact as he doubled in a run for the Angels who beat the Giants 8-1 on Tuesday to start the month of June. He won’t be a full-time starter as Suzuki is expected to take some starts as well as Bemboom every now and again.
Sandoval named as replacement in Angels’ rotation
One move that might go under the radar for the Angels, but perhaps the most influential in the near future, is Patrick Sandoval replacing the injured Quintana in the rotation. Sandoval is having a good year and has already started a few games this season. He is pitching with a 3.80 ERA which will be the best ERA in the rotation except for Ohtani’s. With 3 starts under his belt already this year, he is expected to fit right in. This is only his 3rd year in the majors and it looks like it will be his first full year as well. If he is able to impress Maddon in his next few starts, he might very well be a permanent part of the rotation.
No one has been good in the Angels’ rotation besides Ohtani. If Sandoval can maintain his ERA under 4, he will definitely force Maddon to consider that possibility. He will likely get the start on Sunday against the Mariners in Anaheim.
