Major League rosters changed from 30 players to 28 on Thursday, and the Angels responded by sending infielder Matt Thaiss and reliever Jose Rodriguez to their alternate training facility at Blair Field in Long Beach.
With Thaiss sent down, the Angels only have one natural first baseman — Albert Pujols — on the roster. Angels manager Joe Maddon said some combination of Tommy LaStella and Taylor Ward would serve as Pujols’ backups.
Thaiss’ alert baserunning helped the Angels scratch out a 5-4 win at home against the Houston Astros. Thaiss was 2-for-10 in five games on the young season.
“Matty Thaiss, I talked to him yesterday. Demonstrated to me he’s got really good baseball instincts. I’ve seen that on the bases. He’s a strong makeup guy too and I want him to know that … those points really came across to me. So he’ll be back.”
According to an agreement with MLB and the players’ union, rosters will be set at 28 players for the remainder of the season. Additionally, teams are allowed to carry five players on their traveling taxi squad. These players give flexibility in case of injuries (not coronavirus-related concerns) happen while a team is on the road.
Quad tightness keeps Adell out of lineup: Rookie outfielder Jo Adell, the Angels’ top prospect, wasn’t in the Angels lineup on Thursday against the Seattle Mariners.
The 21-year-old Adell is 2 for 8 with a pair of infield singles since being called up on Tuesday. Maddon said Adell’s injury isn’t considered serious.
