The Los Angeles Angels have a difficult slate of games ahead of them with just a fraction of their schedule remaining, and a large chunk of ground to make up in the standings.
Trailing multiple teams in the Wild Card, the Angels need to find an area of consistency on a roster that hasn’t been able to trend in a positive direction for an extended period. General manager Perry Minasian utilized a lot of prospect resources in solidifying the roster, while ensuring that an all-in approach was felt in their push towards the postseason.
Despite losing eight of their past 10 games, they’re still clinging to hope with Mike Trout, Logan O’Hoppe and other key guys on the horizon, per Jeff Fletcher of the O.C. Register:
“We still have 46 games to go,” Minasian said before the Angels opened a three-game series against the Houston Astros on Friday. “There’s a lot of baseball to be played. We’re going to put our best foot forward. I still believe in this team.”
Having tough matchups with the Houston Astros, Texas Rangers and other American League opponents on the upcoming slate, their fate can be found out in a relatively short period of time:
“We’ve got some work to do,” Minasian said. “There’s no denying that, but I’m looking forward to watching the next 46 and seeing how we do.”
“As good as things are, they can change really quick,” he said. “As bad as things are, they can change really quick. We’ve seen that throughout the year. For us, the most important thing is to understand how important today is and do what we need to do to win a game.”
They have a serious shot to contend if all things click with starting pitching consistency, while also playing up to their true offensive potential. However, Shohei Ohtani hinting that he might be in need of some days off down the stretch isn’t as positive of news as Minasian would like to hear.
Mike Trout provides update on his return to Angels
Trout’s absence has played a key part in the Angels downward trend in play, surely, because in 100 plate appearances leading up to his injury, he posted a 142 wRC+ with five homers and 17 runs scored.
Trout had found a different level of comfort in the box in that span, seeing his walk-rate spike to 16%. The 32-year-old spoke on his rehab progress, revealing his continued work to get back, which will happen once he finds a decent level of pain tolerance.
Make sure to follow Angels Nation on Twitter for all the latest news and updates surrounding the Halos!
