Angels FAQ: Details on the upcoming season
Rhett Bollinger
@RhettBollingerANAHEIM -- Baseball is back after the coronavirus caused a league-wide shutdown in March, and the Angels still have their sights set on making the postseason for the first time since 2014.
The Angels are set up well for a 60-game season. Their biggest question mark was their rotation depth, but that will be mitigated by the truncated season. Two-way star Shohei Ohtani is fully healthy, and the Angels should have one of the better offenses in the league with Mike Trout and new addition Anthony Rendon leading the way.
New manager Joe Maddon was optimistic about the club in Spring Training, and he remains convinced that this team is ready to compete now.
He said Wednesday that the club¡¯s mentality will be the key to its success in 2020.
¡°It¡¯s inconvenient and uncomfortable,¡± Maddon said. ¡°Just know that. Accept it. Wear it every day and you¡¯ll be able to deal with it. If you come in expecting the norms, you¡¯ll be frustrated constantly. We won¡¯t permit that.¡±
The Angels' best 60-game start came in 2007, when they were 38-22 and finished the season with 94 wins and the division title. Their best 60-game stretch at any point in club history came in 2009, when they went 44-16 from June 12-Aug. 19, en route to a 97-win season and a division title.
When will camp start, and where?
Spring Training is set to begin on July 1, and the Angels will host it at Angel Stadium instead of their Spring Training complex in Tempe, Ariz. Fans will not be allowed to attend Spring Training. The Angels are also looking at local baseball complexes to host additional workouts, especially for the members of their taxi squad.?
When is Opening Day?
MLB anticipates Opening Day occurring July 23-24, per its official release. The official schedule will need to be approved by players -- expected in the next week or so -- before being released. So, for now, we still don¡¯t know if the Angels will start at home or on the road, or who their opponent will be for the opening series.
Which teams will be on the schedule?
The Angels will only play clubs in the West divisions in each league, with 40 games against divisional opponents. They¡¯ll play the Astros, A¡¯s, Rangers and Mariners 10 times each and the Interleague-rival Dodgers six times. The remaining 14 games will be against the Padres, Rockies, D-backs and Giants.
How are the Angels' injured players doing?
Ohtani has fully recovered from Tommy John surgery and left knee surgery, as he¡¯s been throwing bullpens and taking batting practice without any issues. Right-hander Griffin Canning has recovered after having an injection in his right elbow in March. Reliever Justin Anderson is healthy after suffering a left oblique strain in Spring Training, while right-hander F¨¦lix Pe?a is healthy after undergoing surgery on his left ACL in August.
What are some competitions to watch when camp resumes?
The Angels still have to decide how the rotation will shake out, especially now that Canning and Ohtani are options. Left-hander Andrew Heaney was slated to be the club¡¯s Opening Day starter and is likely to get that nod. Veterans Dylan Bundy and Julio Teheran will be a part of the rotation, but a sixth spot could be up for grabs, depending on how Ohtani is utilized. Right-hander Matt Andriese looked primed for a rotation spot before the shutdown, but he¡¯ll compete with others such as Pe?a and Dillon Petersand youngsters Patrick Sandoval, Jaime Barria and Jose Suarez.
On the position player side, the Angels will have to sort out how their bench will be filled out, but they¡¯re otherwise set with their starting position players.
How will rosters be different? How will those changes affect my team?
Each club will have a 30-man roster for the first two weeks, 28 for the next two weeks, and 26 for the remainder of the season. Teams will submit lists of 60 players eligible to play in 2020 -- the 40-man roster plus a "taxi squad" of 20 players. The 30-man rosters will allow clubs to carry more pitchers to help with the starters in case they aren¡¯t fully stretched out. Maddon said he believes the full roster, including the taxi squad, will be roughly half pitchers and half position players.
It will also allow the Angels to keep several of their top prospects, such as outfielders Jo Adell and Brandon Marsh on their taxi squad. Adell has a shot to make the 30-man roster to open the season, but considering he wasn¡¯t likely to make the original Opening Day roster, he has an uphill battle with Brian Goodwin expected to be the starter in right field.?The Angels will likely have room for bench players such as Michael Hermosillo, Matt Thaiss and Luis Rengifo, while Jared Walsh and Taylor Ward will be in the mix as well.
The regular injured list will be for 10 days in 2020 for both position players and pitchers, as in 2019. MLB is also instituting a special COVID-19-related injured list for players who test positive, have confirmed exposure or are exhibiting symptoms. There would not be a minimum or maximum number of days players can spend on this list; any player who tests positive will not be allowed to return until he tests negative twice.
Players optioned or outrighted off the roster must remain that way for a minimum of 10 days before they can be recalled.
How can I watch the games?
The Angels¡¯ games will be televised by FOX Sports West, and fans can stream out-of-market games LIVE on MLB.TV on your favorite supported devices.
How can I listen?
The Angels radio network has several local affiliates, including the flagship station of KLAA-AM Angels Radio AM 830. In Los Angeles, it's on 710 AM, in Palm Springs it's on 1010 AM, in Riverside/Banning it's 1490 AM, in Ridgecrest it's on 1240 AM and in Victorville it's on 910 AM. The Spanish radio network is 1330 AM. Fans can also listen to every game LIVE online or on the go with MLB Audio.