TODAY: The Angels announced that left-hander Jose Suarez will be recalled from Triple-A to start Friday’s game against the Astros.
YESTERDAY: The Angels have placed right-handed pitcher Griffin Canning on the 10-day injured list with right elbow inflammation, according to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. It’s the same issue that landed the 23-year-old rookie on the injured list in early August.
As Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times notes, manager Brad Ausmus was unable to say whether the latest injury would mark the end of Canning’s season. The Angels skipper went on to characterize the injury as only “mild inflammation,” telling reporters (including Fletcher) that there are “no concerns that it’s anything more than inflammation.”
Amid a frustrating season for the Angels, Canning has been one of the few bright spots, especially in a pitching staff that has endured more than its fair share of injuries. Despite debuting at the end of April, Canning leads the team in games started, pitching 90 1/3 innings in the Majors. He’s worked to 4.58 ERA while striking out 96 batters—while his numbers aren’t stellar, Canning offers considerable value to a team, and at just 23, there’s certainly room for more here.
Per Torres, Canning will undergo an MRI after returning to Los Angeles. Indeed, it may be wise for the Angels to exercise caution with their promising youngster. With their playoff hopes all but erased, there’s a case to be made that Canning should be shut down in hopes of preventing any further injury to his throwing elbow. Ausmus and general manager Billy Eppler have been careful to manage Canning’s workload in his debut season: he’s approaching the 113 1/3 inning mark he totaled last season.
Omarj
noooooo
Melvin McMurf
curse of the angels
darkstar61
He has never pitched many innings, started with an arm injury, developed another arm injury because he’s rushed, and the team said just dont worry about it
How is it a curse when the team is going out of their way to ensure injuries are the most likely outcome?
OntariGro
He’s pitched less innings this season than in his previous 3 (two college years and one in the minors).He’s gone more than 6 innings a total of twice in 18 appearances (17 starts), threw under 100 pitches in 14 of those starts, under 90 in 6.. Held to 80 pitches in his return from the initial inflammation visit, then followed that with 7 innings of 1 run ball, 8 ks. 101 pitches. Seems about as careful as you can be with a 23 year old….
I’m no Angels Training/Medical Staff apologist, how could you be if you aren’t on it, but hanging Canning’s reoccurring elbow inflammation on the Angels rushing or overworking him…it ain’t on them this time man.
darkstar61
He fell to the 2nd round because of fatigue to his arm that had all the other teams staying far away – and he didn’t pitch the rest of his draft season because of it
He was supposed to max out at AA in 2018 but they rushed him to SLC and had him increasing both his inning and pitch total in his first pro season
This season, which he has spent mostly in the majors despite on schedule for just a late call-up, he was on pace for vastly more innings and pitches than he had ever thrown – a number he is only not going to make because he’s now been hurt
He goes down with inflammation to start the month only for the Angels to decide, nope, it’s okay – he can just pitch through it after the mandated time off
A week later hes back on the IL with the same injury
By the way; 14 days off because of elbow inflammation, then having to throw 80 max effort pitches at the ML level before the second most he’s ever thrown the next time out …cant imagine why it stayed a problem. Total shocker there
OntariGro
“Fatigue to his arm” isn’t a condition. He didn’t pitch, or throw at ALL in his draft season professionally after 119 college innings. Strength and conditioning in extended Spring Training. Almost sounds like exercising caution and not rushing him. (incidentally the concerns were in regards to his shoulder).
He was moved to AAA after 10 AA starts with a 2.17 ERA/1.007 WHIP/9.7 K/9. You call it rushing, I call it having nothing left to prove in AA. He pitched less total innings, less innings per start (4.5 after averaging roughly 7 in college), and pitched to less hitters overall. Still looking for the overworking that somehow presaged August elbow inflammation. But all I’m finding in 2018 is a 22 year old 2nd round pick pitching really well and progressing quickly.
“This season, which he has spent mostly in the majors despite on schedule for just a late call-up, he was on pace for vastly more innings and pitches than he had ever thrown”
Right. I don’t understand what you’re attempting to illustrate. A 23 year old pitcher with nothing left to prove in the minors gets called up to the majors, pitches every 5th game.
Despite what he was on pace for being immaterial (your body doesn’t react to things it hasn’t done yet), let’s take a look. Canning is sitting at 90.1 ML innings. Were he not in the IL, schedulewise he’d be looking at 6 more starts. Averaging roughly 6 innings per start he’d end the season at 126.1 innings. Now you might call the distance between that and the 113 he threw in 2018, the 119 in 2017 and the 109 he threw in 2016 “vast.” Not sure who else would.
“Angels to decide, nope, it’s okay – he can just pitch through it after the mandated time off”
In the world where you haven’t already decided on a narrative, this is known as “how putting a player on the IL works.”
“By the way; 14 days off because of elbow inflammation, then having to throw 80 max effort pitches at the ML level before the second most he’s ever thrown the next time out”
There is literally nothing strange about this sequence of events. Also 2nd most pitches he’s thrown in 2019 =/= 2nd most he’s ever thrown.
The idea that this elbow inflammation is the result of some massive seasons-long fumble by the Angels, or that a predraft shoulder MRI that made a few teams skittish means Canning needs to be treated like he’s got wet toilet-paper bones is silly.
Correlation =/= Causation.
AngelDiceClay
He pitched a lot of innings with UCLA. In fact when the Angels signed him they gave him a year off before starting his pro career.
fred-3
Angels can’t develop pitching. Look throughout their history outside of the early Sosh era. It’s no curse.
macstruts
Who is the last pitcher the Astros developed? Just curious. Texas? The A’s? The Mariners? Just curious
Angels Jered Weaver. .
Mariners Felix Hernandez.
I can’t remember the last Texas or Astros or A’s pitcher they developed.
There isn’t a good pitcher on any AL West staff that has been developed by the organization. Is there?
.
srechter
A’s have sonny gray. Astros have Dallas Keuchel. Darvish might be the only thing kind of close for the Rangers, but they certainly didn’t develop him. Obviously none of those players remain on their original teams, though.
athleticsnchill
I’d count Montas. When we got him from the Dodgers he was very raw. We helped him develop into an ace before his suspension.
fred-3
I was talking about pitching in general. Starters or relievers. Look at the Angels history. Only Cy winners were Colon (who only won because his win total) and Dean Chance. Their most successful homegrown starter in 50 years is Weaver, who effectively done by 31/32. It’s no coincidence they had their best run ever when Weaver, Ervin, Saunders, Lackey, Shields and K-Rod were young, effective and most importantly for Arte, cheap.
OntariGro
How’d the A’s “help him develop? He was mediocre at your AAA affiliate, the only non MLB-level of the A’s system he was involved with, coinciding with a bad season as a reliever, a respectable 11 start 2018, and a very promising half-season performance for 15 starts in 2019….an enhanced performance. You can count if you like but liberal use of “develop” and “ace.”
OntariGro
Frank Tanana, Chuck Finley, Troy Percival, Mike Witt, Jim Abbott, would like a word with you. Jarrod Washburn’s offended too.
Incidentally Scot Shields entree into the organization predates Scioscia’s arrival by a few seasons.
OntariGro
Bryan Harvey feels left out too.
macstruts
I’d had forgotten about Keuchel. ERA+ of 109. almost a 20 WAR. So the basically they have developed one good pitcher this decade. Right?
Gray had a WAR of 11.2 over five years. That’s OK, but he wouldn’t be the kind of guy be proud of..
macstruts
Montas… No. He’s chemically enhanced and now we know where that extra velocity came from.
Prior to this year he had a negative war, and there was a reason for that.
We know exactly who developed him. A pharmaceutical company.
macstruts
If you don’t count Ryan, Chuck Finley is the best pitcher the Angels developed. and there isn’t a close second.
Down the line would be Weaver, Tanana (who’s career was ruined by Dick Williams) and John Lackey.,
Tanana had 43 complete games in 1976 and 1977. Thanks Dick.
FattKemp
This is the stupidest comment on the article. He took Ostarine, which you can buy at GNC for $28 (I take Ostarine myself, but they don’t test accountants for performance-enhancing drugs). If you can buy it over-the-counter, it shouldn’t get you suspended.
jimmuscomp
Not quite, but close. I’d say Finley was as good or better than Weaver. Otherwise spot on. That run of good pitching in the early 2000’s coincided with their one extended stretch of excellence.
AngelDiceClay
Tanana was too shabby. Dean Chance. To name a couple. You said the last 50 years yet you go back 20
jason3tears
Tommy John announcement coming in 3..2..1…
rev halofan
Blast Off…
jorge78
Badda Bing!!!!!
darkstar61
Its almost as if wishful thinking doesn’t actually heal injuries. Who would have thought.
Year after year, all these Angels trying to play through injuries the team insists aren’t really that bad, and yet still the fans are shocked when players drop like flies continually.
Until the club addresses what is the worst medical staff in all of sports, and stops trying to rush guys back when there is no need, this will constantly be an issue
qbass187
Another one bites the dust
erickohli
AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
trident
We’ve seen this before…
Angels’ Training Staff next week: Nothing a little platelet-rich plasma injection shot can’t fix.
Angels’ Training Staff in October: Canning needs Tommy John Surgery.
Oakley Dude
Wow!
macstruts
At this point, it’s impossible to care.
Nothing is certain in life but death, taxes and every Angel starter going down to injury.
HalosHeavenJJ
Shut the kid down. 2019 is done. Just pray he avoids the Angels TJ routine and gets ready for a healthy 2020.
He got his feet wet at the MLB level, held his own for the most part. That’s all he needed to do this year.
bkbk
I think this is literally what happened. Given the rash of injuries and the microscopic postseasn odds, I think you’re looking at a team playing ultra cautious. There would be no reason to let him pitch again this year.
sheff86
You know that TJ ligament snapped.
darkangel
shut down. games are now meaningless other than tryouts for young players.
DGHalos714
There are some pretty rough comments on here. Yes, some true….but come on. The kid has done well and nothing has been reported yet other than inflammation. I think everyone says Angels are responsible for the injuries but that’s just what happens. Its life. Sometimes you don’t get what you want or the timing sucks but it is what it is. Happens to everyone and every team but that is where the Halos are getting better. Is what happens after the injury and who comes up after. They actually had new talent come up to help this season and were able to get by until it became too much when starting pitching and the over worked bullpen struggled and all the wheels fell off. They aren’t too far away and once they actually spend money on a few starting pitchers who can throw 6+ innings (and a true ace) then they can really compete in a post season series. I think Canning will be fine and is looking to be a good young and promising player in the future of the team. It is time to trust in the process and watch it ride out.
DarkSide830
surpised the players union hasnt filed a grievance against the Angels about this yet. their pitchers are consistently injured and evidently that training staff is doing something terribly wrong.
chalk1973 2
I’m going to file a grievance with MLB Trade Rumors for your lack of capitals.
Vizionaire
i don’t use capital letters online in most cases. it’s a habbit from my days as an engineer in a firm. i don’t know about his reason not to use it but please think there are other people like myself.
kingsfan1968
Angels will sign Homer Bailey, Ervin Santana and Bartolo Colon next year for 1 mil each plus bonuses and the staff era will still improve over this year. Oh and Jared Weaver makes a comeback too.
Vizionaire
does your mom know you are a troll? she must be very proud of you!