Angels, Orioles soldier on with pitching woes
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Angels did not look at the July 31 trade deadline as their chance to improve their rotation. They looked to the trainer's room.
A team that saw its rotation devastated by injuries in the spring was hoping that Tyler Skaggs, Garrett Richards and Andrew Heaney might recover in August. And so it came to pass that Skaggs made his first start last weekend, Heaney might be activated this weekend and Richards is doing everything possible to rejoin the Angels in September.
While still in need of fill-ins, the Angels promoted Troy Scribner (1-0, 4.50) last week, a young fresh arm from Triple-A Salt Lake. The right-hander makes his second start in the series finale with the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday after a ragged first start.
Skaggs, who didn't last four innings in his first start, is set to pitch in Seattle on Thursday. Heaney could be activated this weekend.
There is no guarantee of success upon the return from the DL, of course. Angels right-hander Matt Shoemaker, for example, came back from sustaining a fractured skull last season, and he started slowly before posting a 6-3 record -- and then experienced a forearm strain that turned out to be a compressed nerve.
Shoemaker underwent season-ending surgery Tuesday.
Alex Meyer, an add-on to the deal that sent Ricky Nolasco to Anaheim last season, emerged early and was 4-5 with a respectable 3.74 ERA when he went down with right shoulder inflammation.
The Angeles expected the first three names in their bullpen to be Huston Street (324 saves), Andrew Bailey (95 saves) and Cam Bedrosian (1.12 ERA in 2016).
Street was KO'd by three injuries and has pitched in four games this year. Bailey was shut down in April with shoulder issues. Bedrosian came back in June and started great, then hit a wall.
"You expect there will be injuries, but you can't anticipate having as many as we have, especially so many at the start of the season," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said at the time.
In some ways, Scioscia worked magic to keep the team afloat, with two relievers, JC Ramirez and Jesse Chavez, stepping into the rotation; two rookies, Meyer and Parker Bridwell, picking up rotation slack; and Bud Norris and several spring non-roster players filling spots in the bullpen.
The Orioles have had their own pitching issues, as they rank last in the American League in ERA.
Dylan Bundy, 24, wound up being the only reliable starter. Their decision to pick up Jeremy Hellickson in a deadline deal from Philadelphia reflected how great their rotation hole was whether they were a wild-card contender or not.
"We had the need right away," Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said, "and with what we're looking at in the future."
Kevin Gausman (8-7, 5.15 ERA) starts Wednesday, and he is the only other starter beside Bundy and Hellickson who might be in the plans for 2018. Gausman is 31-38 with a 4.23 ERA for his career, but he is making just $3.45 million in 2017. He is arbitration-eligible and young enough for the Orioles to invest in him.
Others, not so much. Wade Miley (7-14, 5.72 in two seasons; $8.9 million in 2017) has been a bust.
Ubaldo Jimenez went 13-9 with a 3.30 ERA for Cleveland in 2013, inspiring the Orioles to sign him to a four-year deal. He has 31-38 with a 5.04 ERA in the four seasons with Baltimore. He made $13.5 million in 2017 and will be a free agent.
Chris Tillman is a tough call: He was 65-33 from 2012 to 2016 with a 3.81 ERA for the O's, but he hit the wall this season (1-7, 8.10) and has lost his spot in the rotation. He made $10 million in 2017 and is a free agent in 2018.
Gausman is 1-1 with a 4.66 ERA in three career starts against the Angels. He is 5-0 with a 2.87 ERA in his past eight starts, including a seven-inning, one-run outing in a no-decision against the Detroit Tigers on Friday.
Scribner will be opposing the Orioles for the first time. In his initial major league start, and third appearance, he gave up five runs (two earned) and walked four in four-plus innings against the Oakland A's on Friday.
