Daily Links for the LA Angels including Pineiro already feeling better, Izturis aiming to avoid the DL this year, Trumbo returns to the lineup and much more…
The Story: Joel Pineiro calls his apparent shoulder injury in his last appearance nothing but a cramp.
The Monkey Says: That is a relief, but we may not be out of the woods yet. There are reports that Pineiro’s velocity fell to nearly sub-80’s during his preceding start. Even though it initially sounds like the Angels dodged a bullet here, this is certainly a situation to monitor since Pineiro has a significant history of arm problems.
The Story: Maicer Izturis is aiming to get through the season without getting hurt.
The Monkey Says: Good luck with that. Here’s the thing, Izturis never seems to suffer major injuries like broken bones or anything, but rather it is muscle pulls, generally in his legs that sideline him. Those kind of injuries are the kind that just build up and build up, making it that much easier to reaggravate the injury later on. I wish that wasn’t the case, but at least the Angels are being conservative in setting a target of 100 games for Izturis this season rather than pushing him to play 150 games.
The Story: Ten questions with prospect Garrett Richards.
The Monkey Says: Richards mentioned that he is still working his curveball and focusing on the Angel philosophy of trying to get batters out in three or four pitches. Hopefully Scott Kazmir isn’t his tutor for that last one.
The Story: Yesterday’s Spring Training game was cut short due to rain.
The Monkey Says: The only noteworthy development here is that Mark Trumbo was back in the lineup after missing a few days with a tweaked groin.