Daily Links for the LA Angels including Bedrosian gets Tommy John surgery, Rodney just needs to “keep it simple,” Weaver might have “dead arm” and much more…
The Story: Top Angel pitching prospect Cam Bedrosian will undergo Tommy John surgery.
The Monkey Says: TJ surgery is no longer a death sentence, in fact, plenty of guys come back arguably stronger than ever and Bedrosian is still plenty young enough. It does mean that he really isn’t going to be ready again until the middle of next season and still starting in the very low minors.
The Story: Mike Scioscia wants Fernando Rodney to “keep it simple.”
The Monkey Says: I think that is a nice way of asking him to focus on fixing his mechanics, which Fraudney himself blames for his issues. I’ve been pretty hard on Fernando this season, but the Angel bullpen really does need a righty setup man to setup and Rodney is probably the best man for the job, so hopefully he can get his act together.
The Story: Scott Downs appears to be in line for a promotion to top setup man.
The Monkey Says: As well he should. He may not be the most dominant arm, but his track record is one of consistency, which is something the Angel pen really needs right now.
The Story: Is Jered Weaver suffering from a bout of dead arm?
The Monkey Says: Jered suggested that himself, and he isn’t an excuse-maker, so I tend to believe him in his own assessment. He definitely hasn’t been as sharp as the start of the season, but he also was pitching at an unsustainable level of excellence. Whatever it is, let’s hope Weaver gets over it soon and can dominate once again, though it isn’t like he has been bad in his last few starts.
The Story: The Diamondbacks still can’t be declared total losers in the Dan Haren trade.
The Monkey Says: Let’s see, Joe Saunders has been absolutely terrible since joining Arizona and the D’Backs have already released Rafael Rodriguez. That definitely isn’t a good start. Skaggs is a heck of a prospect, and Corbin is nice, but with how good Haren has been for the Angels, either one of them is going to have to become a legit stud or both will have to develop into solid rotation guys for this deal to be even close to considered a wash for both franchises.
The Story: Meet Torii Hunter at the MetroPCS store in Stanton this Saturday.
The Monkey Says: I am only going to go meet him if he actually drives a run in before then.