Calling All Angels

(Music Pun #9 - Second Train pun this streak, and I'm not at all proud of it)

Zack Cozart. Keynan Middleton. Shohei Ohtani. JC Ramirez. Garrett Richards. Matt Shoemaker. Tyler Skaggs. Nick Tropeano. Chris Young.

ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE CURRENTLY INJURED FOR THE ANGELS. This includes roughly the entire starting rotation. The only starters currently active for the Angels are Andrew Heaney and Jaime Barria, two guys who were NOT in the minds of the pitching coaches when the season started. So that would explain why the Angels haven't been keeping a ton of runs down lately.

Here's a crazy stat for you- yesterday was the first game where the Angels were able to keep an opposing team to less than 4 runs scored since June 9th. That is not good.

I mean, the offense is fine, but thanks to the glut of injuries there's not as much variety as they would have liked. Yes, Justin Upton, Ian Kinsler, Albert Pujols and Kole Calhoun are great at supplying power, but...ultimately that's all they're great at. There are only a few five-tool players in that lineup right now; literally just Mike Trout and Andrelton Simmons. And while they're good, they can only hold the team for so long.

The injuries, and ineptitudes, have poked a lot of holes into a lineup that we all thought would be pristine a few months ago. And even if Heaney and Barria do manage to hold the fort for a bit, you have to hope that their farm system arms run pretty deep. Because if they want to go up against the Astros and Mariners, they're gonna need all the help they can get.

Coming Tomorrow- Last year, 'round this time, the Dodgers enlisted the help of a utility-man to spice up the roster. Now...as Chris Taylor's already cemented his status in the lineup, it's a new guy's turn to make his mark.