Injuries are already complicating the rotation for the Angels

If you are a fan of the Los Angeles Angels one thing you are familiar with is injuries to starting pitchers. 2018 has not changed the team’s fortune.

When healthy, the Los Angeles Angels pitching staff is immensely promising. Garrett Richards has already proven that he is an MLB-caliber ace. Tyler Skaggs is a shifty southpaw with electric stuff and a huge ceiling, as is Andrew Heaney. Shohei Ohtani is baseball’s hottest commodity. Matt Shoemaker is a solid rotational arm, as are J.C. Ramirez and Alex Meyer.

The back-end of that rotation is questionable, but the rotation as a whole is very promising. With a good offense led by Mike Trout, this rotation is more than good enough to make the Angels contenders.

The only problem being that the Angels starting pitchers cannot stay healthy.

All of the guys listed above, excluding the rookie Shohei Ohtani, have dealt with their own share of injuries. Long-term, short-term, season-ending and unconcerning; you name it and the Angels starting rotation has probably suffered it.

That same injury bug has already struck the Angels and is making a once-promising six-man rotation something very hard to juggle for Mike Scioscia. The Angels understandably want to give their guys as much rest as possible; especially Shohei Ohtani, who is expected to DH at least three times a week.

However, the Angels no longer have that luxury, unless they want to call upon half of their AAA starting rotation to make big league starts.

JC Ramirez is out with a UCL injury that will likely call for Tommy John Surgery, ending his season. Alex Meyer did not even get a chance to play this season and is expected to miss the entire season with after shoulder surgery.

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Matt Shoemaker has been on the DL since April first with a forearm strain in his throwing arm. Last season, southpaw James Paxton suffered the same strain in his throwing hand on May 2. He did not return until May 31. The best-case scenario has Shoemaker returning in other two weeks.

This has prompted the Angels to make some moves. AAA pitcher Jamie Barria is set to make his MLB debut Wednesday night. At the time of writing this, the probable pitchers for Thursday and Friday are unannounced. However, it will likely be minor leaguer Parker Bridwell on Thursday and a returning Andrew Heaney on Friday.

That leaves the Angels with a proper five-man rotation and a decision to make: does the team start Shohei Ohtani on Saturday on five-day rest, or, do they call to the minor leagues and give him his usual six-day rest on Sunday?

I would think that the Angels would take the risk and pitch him on Saturday, leaving him on his normal DH schedule. If he thrives, it will open the book for the Angels to be more flexible in the future. If he flounders, it will show the Angels that he needs that extra day.

Next: Shohei Ohtani is proving he is exactly what the Angels need

With an off-day next Monday, the Angels can afford to pitch Ohtani on Saturday and run a normal five-man rotation to give him six-day rest. With an off-day the following Thursday and Shoemaker’s eventual return, the Angels should be fine. It is just that first Ohtani start that is up in the air.

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