The Angels announced Friday that right-hander Justin Anderson has a tear in his ulnar collateral ligament. He’ll undergo Tommy John surgery as a result.
The 27-year-old Anderson is a former 14th-round pick of the Angels in 2014 who made his major league debut in 2018. Since then, only three Angels relievers (Noe Ramirez, Cam Bedrosian and Hansel Robles) have thrown more innings than Anderson’s 102 1/3. Unfortunately, though, injuries have been a frequent problem for Anderson dating back to last season. He dealt with a trapezoid issue then, which likely contributed to a 2 mph-plus drop in his average fastball (from 97.3 mph to 94.7), and then battled an oblique problem this past spring.
So far, Anderson has pitched to a 4.75 ERA and posted a bloated 6.33 BB/9 in the majors, though he does own a much better 4.10 FIP and an impressive strikeout rate of 11.17 per nine. He won’t have a chance to add to those numbers until late next year or perhaps in 2022, as TJ procedures typically require 12 to 15 months of rehab. In the meantime, Anderson is scheduled to reach arbitration for the first time during the upcoming offseason.
So that is now three Angel pitchers who were suppose to provide critical innings for the Angels that are now on the shelf.
Sandoval…. Covid
Teheren…. Covid
Anderson… TJ Surgery.
I’m expecting more good news soon.
Were you Xabial in a previous user name?
OK.. I’ll play.. Nope.
Halo. – Angels (obvious).
11 – Jim Fregosi (to Angel fans, obvious)
Fan. Obvious.
That’s who I am, that’s who I will be in the future.
Xabial/Halo same person logic test
-relentless posting: check
-often first poster: check
-often pointless posting: check
-often self upvoter: check
-overuse of parenthesis: somewhat check
-bad grammar: check
-NYY fan: NO
-buttkissing of writers at MLBTR: No
I guess you were not Xabial in a previous life. Enjoy the rest of your day, virus free.
clepto
Troll… check.
Sandoval and Teheran will be back soon……There is your silver lining.
I hope so. Has either been cleared to return to camp?
We still don’t know how long this stays in someone’s system. Thaiss spoke up. Has anyone else?
Thaiss was out a month. Felt perfectly fine, he was out a month.
Sandoval is back in camp
Thanks for the info…. I’m a big fan of Sandoval’s stuff.
Yet not a big enough fan to know he reported days ago?
So cook, are you trying to be a troll or you are one?
It wasn’t even reported on this site that he even had covid. Go to the MLB site, you wont find his name mentioned.
I don’t live in So Cal. I don’t get So Cal radio. So how would I know?
There is no games on TV. No Announcers. No Angel broadcasts.
I’m a big fan of his stuff, yet I don’t know he’s back in camp is an issue with you… grow up.
I’m not so sure Anderson would’ve lasted. He walks way too many hitters. Teheran and Sandoval will be back.
Also misses a lot of bats and keeps the ball in the park. This I like to see in relief pitchers. As well as control, obviously.
Ehh not sure Anderson was really “suppose to provide critical innings” for the Angels. It’s not like he was a lock to even make the Angels’ bullpen coming out of ST 1.0.
Plus with guys like Jacob Barnes, Keynan, and Mayers, they have plenty of depth to absorb the loss of JA.
I respect the opinion. I expected him to provide critical innings.
Heck, with the number of bullpen innings this team throws, I expect many RPs to throw critical innings.
I can’t imagine many bullpens have thrown as many innings as the Angels the past four seasons combined. Injuries and ineffectiveness amongst the starters has placed a heavy burden on the Angels bullpen. Hopefully, 2020 is the year that changes…
I had to catch my breath for a second after seeing this alert before realizing it was baseball. That would be the Brooklyn Nets luck to have their substitute for their substitute in the bubble in Orlando require surgery now…
Hey, there is someone who does use NBA trade rumors. 🙂
Wow, an Angels pitcher needs Tommy John. What a surprise.
and that’s why i cant see them as a threat to claim a playoff spot this year. doesnt matter how good Trout and Rendon are, if the pitchers cant stay healthy – which we have no proof that they can – that wolnt get anywhere.
If Othani and Heaney can’t pitch, or they can’t find another effective starter to add to that mix, they won’t compete.
I have no issue with anyone who believes that is the most likely scenario.
However if they can pitch, and they find another to go along with them, they will compete.
oh i agree, its a good mix. if they are healthy they can contend but that’s a big if.
The AL West is going to be really tough this year. The A’s have won 98? games in back to back seasons and the case can be made that they will be even better in 2020 with their young pitchers finally being healthy.
While the Astros did lose some talent in the pitching department, they have the most complete and battle tested offense in the AL West and still have Verlander and Greinke anchoring their staff in a short season.
Then the Angels get Ohtani back on the mound, add Rendon and a couple of proven, innings-eating starters to round out the staff, and one could argue that the Rangers improved as well, with Kluber as their new ace along with other, sneaky good additions.
The AL West winner will need to get off to a hot start and stay healthy enough to hold off the competition in the 60 game sprint. I wouldn’t be surprised if all 4 teams mentioned above finish at .500 or higher, as they will beat each other up in their 10 head to head games. It will be hard for any team to sweep a 4 game, AL West series unless it’s against Seattle.
Dream on dude. This lineup can overcome our pitching.
famous last words
In a 60 game season, great hitting can overcome mediocre pitching. Actually the same is true in a 162 game season.
The question is can the Angels achieve mediocre pitching.
Billy Eppler’s preference for high velocity guys who throw fastballs over half the time will lead to a higher than normal rate of TJ. Max effort guys put way more torque on their elbows and Billy loves max effort guys.
HallosHeavenJJ, have you ever watched Justin Anderson pitch? I’m being serious. Because Anderson throws he slider more than any other pitch
Major League Baseball needs to formally start calling this Frank Jobe Surgery. Tommy John had nothing to do with it other than being a patient. Meanwhile, Dr. Jobe devised a procedure that has saved countless careers. With the possible exception of Marvin Miller, no non-player has contributed more to the game in the last half-century than Frank Jobe. He belongs in the Hall of Fame. C’mon, MLB. Get your history right.
They should call it an elbow Job(e) instead.
Dream on dude. This lineup can overcome our pitching.
Unfortunately the Angels have 1 ACE and 4 #5 to #7 starters. How many of these guys would be able earn a rotation spot on the A’s, Rangers or Astros? Just 1, Shohei Ohtani. When your #2 guy is worse than the #4 of every team you are competing with, that is a huge disadvantage. While the Angel’s lineup is great, I just don’t think it is good enough. Not in the AL West.
I think you discount Heaney. He has borderline elite indicators. He needs to put it together. He needs to learn how to pitch.
Also if Canning arm holds up, he’s another good pitcher.
These guys are not back of the rotation starters.
I wouldn’t trade Heaney for a #4 guy on any AL west team.
Agreed. I wouldn’t trade a guy pushing 30 and sucks for anyone. The only people propping up a never-will-be like Heaney is any Angels fan. The other 4 teams in that division, and the 5 teams in the NL West will look forward to facing him.
Heaney becomes a free agent in two years. So over the next two years, give me your #4 pitchers on the Rangers, A’s, Houston and Ms.
So who exactly are you talking about?
Because after this one year, you’ll go 0-4.
I’ll take Kyle Gibson over Heaney. Texas.
I’ll take whoever decides to be the 4th in Houston over Heaney.
I’ll take one of the four Oakland arms fighting for the top spot in the rotation, and probably their #5.
Seattle is one of the worst teams in baseball.
You went 1-3. There is a reason the Angels miss the postseason every single year and it’s because of a weak rotation that has a lot to prove. Whatever potential you think they have is just that; potential.
That wasn’t much of an attempt, you only gave me one name and that name was a joke. Gibson? That’s almost comical He had a .2 WAR last year. Saying you’ll pick the field over Heaney isn’t much of an attempt.
For the A’s, list their top 4. I’ll decide who the 4th is. I’ll pick Heaney.
As far as the Astros? Pick their 3rd and their 4th. I’ll decide who is number four, and I’ll take Heaney.
So…the Angel’s fan gets to decide who his choices are and what do you know? He chooses his own guy! Can’t get less biased than that, can you?
Forget it. Believe whatever you want. You will anyways. I will see you at the end of the year. We will see how it turns out. I will make a prediction right now: no matter what happens, even when the Angels don’t make the playoffs, even if they finish 3rd or 4th in the AL West, even when their starting staff ends up in the bottom 10, if not in the bottom 5 in mlb, you will still claim you were right. Anyone want to bet against me on that?
You made the claim!!!
“When your #2 guy is worse than the #4 of every team you are competing with, that is a huge disadvantage.”
So who are these four pitchers on every staff that are better than Heaney.
I could take all them and say Heaney will be better than one. That would make you wrong, but I wanted to give you a chance. But if you want me to take all sixteen. Great!!!
Who are these 16 pitchers better than Heaney? All Heaney needs to do is be better than one of them and that would make you wrong. That’s an easy win.
I’ll just say you concede. Which obviously you do.
Believe what you want. You will anyways. I do not enjoy writing to a stone wall with no desire or ability to read or understand what I say.
Enjoy agitating other people into submission. I pity your significant other and/or family.
I’ll take Gibson over Heaney. Again. I’ll take Gibson’s career over Heaney. I’ll take any 5 starters from Oakland over Heaney. I’ll take at least 4 from Houston.
In fact, good chance the Angels have the 4th best rotation in the division. They can send Seattle a gift basket for prevent them from placing 5th.
Your bias is showing.
Heaney has been pitching at the ML level for 5 1/4 seasons. He has had an ERA under 4.00 once. His lifetime ERA is 4.44. He has thrown 100IP twice in 5 years. After 5 years, you typically don’t see a large change in results. He may have good indicators, but I think it is far more likely that the pitcher he currently is is the pitcher he will be in the future. FAR more likely. Canning? Every team has a guy like Canning: a guy with great stuff but injury problems or just lack of success. A pitcher with “chronic changes to his UCL” is not a guy to rely on or even bet on. Based on results shown the Angel’s rotation is terrible.
I’ll make the same proposition to you.
Who are the number four starters on the A’s, Rangers, M’s and Astros.
In the next two years, which one of those are going to be better than Heaney. I think you’ll go 0-4,
Everything you say above regarding Heaney’s stats are true. And he’s probably a #4 or 5 on a top MLB staff. It’s also true that who he has been the past five years is a strong indicator of who he will be in the future.
The things that may allow him to break the mold and be a solid #3 or 4 with a sub 4.00 ERA are; 1) health, 2) Mickey Calloway, 3) elite infield defense behind him, 4) elite pitch framing by Castro, 5) the aforementioned indicators and 6) health. I mentioned health twice because for Heaney, it all starts and ends with good health.
I’m not saying he’s a 1 or 2. But he may be able to take his game to the next level and become a solid MLB #3 or 4 if things fall right for him.
Javia
You wrote this… back it up?
When your #2 guy is worse than the #4 of every team you are competing with, that is a huge disadvantage.
I’d love to know who these #4 starters you are talking about.
Clearly you can back this up…. can’t you?
Is it really news when an Angels pitcher requires TJ surgery?
The good news; 1) its not a starter, 2) if you have to have TJ, 2020 is the year to do so, and 3) its mid July and this is the Angels first pitcher to require TJ!
Dr Andrews should hand out an Angels discount. Feels like the Angels send him a lot of business (I can’t verify it to be true, just seems like it).
It’s true
You will notice I did not mention the Mariners because I know their rotation is bad and they will not be competing for the AL West title. Pretty slick though trying to sneak them in to thin out my argument though! Jose Urquidy or Brad Peacock? Advantage Astros. Jesus Luzardo? Advantage A’s. Kyle Gibson? Maybe advantage Angels, but it’s close.
Gibson’s had a better track record than Heaney and deserves the nod.
You know baseball is getting close as the annual Angel’s TJS announcements begin.
Sad but true. But, hey, its mid July and its our first one… so thats a win.