Daily links for the LA Angels including Izturis to the DL (again), Walden called up, Scioscia defends Haren and much more.
The Story: Maicer Izturis was placed on the disabled list with a sore right shoulder.
The Monkey Says: Once again, we are reminded why Maicer can’t be counted on to play on an everyday basis. At least this should stop all the musical chairs that Scioscia has been playing with the infielders lately.
The Story: Jordan Walden is called up to realize his Major League dream.
The Monkey Says: Walden takes Maicer’s place on the roster and should get a fair amount of work the rest of the way. That being said, I don’t know if I agree with Walden being promoted. He has a mere six innings of work at Triple-A this year and his stats weren’t nearly as impressive as those of Michael Kohn. Obviously, Walden has the big fastball that could make him a dominant reliever, but he also has the kind of potential you don’t want to damage by rushing him too much.
The Story: Mike Scioscia defends Dan Haren from his own self-criticism.
The Monkey Says: I actually liked that Haren took his performance so tough. That just shows he is a big-time competitor and expects the best from himself every time out.
The Story: The DL trip did not fix Scott Kazmir.
The Monkey Says: I think the jury is still out on Kazmir, but the lack of strikeouts Kaz has produced is certainly not a good sign. Then again, I don’t know how “fixed” Kazmir was supposed to be after a few weeks on the disabled list. He is going to need a whole off-season to work on whatever issues are plaguing him.
The Story: Joel Pineiro continues to recover quickly.
The Monkey Says: Joel is already throwing again after just three weeks, so he could be back sooner than expected. I don’t think he really should bother rushing to return this season, but with him progressing so well, it will be hard for the Angels to keep him sidelined, even if it is for his own good.
The Story: Jered Weaver is pitching his way into elite company.
The Monkey Says: If Jered can keep it up, that truly is quite the impressive list of pitchers to be associated with. It really is amazing to see how much he has stepped his game up this season. I think a lot of people expected him to be better, but not this much better.
The Story: Erick Aybar has the “best tools” on the Angels.
The Monkey Says: Other Angels are rated highly as well, but Aybar gets the most recognition. That he has so many tools and is having a rather mediocre season only underscores just how little tools translate to on field success sometimes.