Notes: Camp reinforcements, 2021 schedule
ANAHEIM -- The Angels saw a few new additions Thursday, as right-hander Adrian De Horta was added to the club’s player pool while first baseman Jared Walsh and left-hander Patrick Sandoval both arrived at Summer Camp.
De Horta, 25, is a hard-thrower who posted a combined 5.33 ERA with 76 strikeouts in 52 1/3 innings at three Minor League levels last year. He's not on the 40-man roster but gives the Angels relief depth.
• Rendon unfazed by quick ramp-up to season
The Angels also appear primed to add left-hander Adam Seminaris to their player pool, but it’s not official yet. Seminaris was the club’s fifth-round Draft pick this year and would train at the club’s alternate site at Long Beach State University, which is where he went to college.
Walsh is competing with Matt Thaiss for the job as backup first baseman. Thaiss has yet to arrive to camp for undisclosed reasons but hasn’t been placed on the 10-day injured list. The Angels are also missing right-hander Julio Teheran, outfielder Brandon Marsh, second baseman Luis Rengifo and left-handers José Suarez and José Quijada. Lefty Dillon Peters is also on the injured list with an oblique strain.
Sandoval gives the Angels a left-handed starter, although it’s unclear how many pitches he’ll be able to get up to before the start of the season.
2021 schedule announced
The Angels, celebrating their 60th anniversary season next year, are scheduled to open the 2021 season at home against the White Sox on Thursday, April 1. It's the club's first home game to open a season since '16.
• Angels' 2021 regular-season schedule | 2020 schedule
The Angels play 20 Interleague games, including hosting the Dodgers from May 7-9 and playing at Dodger Stadium from Aug. 6-8. They play home series against the Giants (June 22-23), Rockies (July 26-28) and Padres (Aug. 27-28) and make visits to San Francisco (May 31-June 1), Arizona (June 11-13) and San Diego (Sept. 7-8). The Angels finish the regular season on Oct. 3 at Seattle, which is the first time they're ending a season on the road since '15.
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Intrasquad action
The Angels kept it light on Thursday, as the club’s regulars were mostly held out of the intrasquad game at Angel Stadium. Manager Joe Maddon said it was done to keep the regular players fresh. Of the regulars, only shortstop Andrelton Simmons played -- because he didn’t play Wednesday.
“They were on their feet a lot,” Maddon said. “We did want not a third day in a row. It’s part of what we’re able to control. It’s not like Spring Training, where you can play a game and have a day off and play a game and have a day off. We just don’t have that luxury right now. But it gives us an opportunity for some good young arms down here."
Right-handed prospects Jose Rodriguez and Chris Rodriguez each pitched two innings, and lefty Hector Yan threw one. Chris Rodriguez is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the club's No. 7 prospect, and Yan is No. 12.
Maddon has heard nothing but good things about Chris Rodriguez.
“A lot of platitudes every time guys talk about him,” Maddon said. “I saw him play catch with Reid [Detmers] over at Blair Field and wow. I always put the scout’s hat on. You can watch somebody play catch. A real loose, free arm, good finish, great pitcher’s body. I’m hearing fastball, breaking stuff, offspeed, great makeup, good composure. He’s just young, but we shouldn’t let that hold him back.”
Outfielder Jo Adell, the club’s No. 1 prospect, made an immediate impact Thursday, crushing an opposite-field home run off Jose Rodriguez. Adell is competing for a spot on the roster but is likely to remain part of the club’s player pool and not be on the active roster to open the year.
Angels tidbits
• The Angels are incorporating fundamentals into the end of each inning of their intrasquad games. It started on Wednesday, when they practiced bunting at the end of every inning and will continue again on Friday with safety squeezes and pitchers’ fielding. Maddon said it’s better to practice those situations in an intrasquad setting instead of drills because it feels more like a real game setting.
• The Angels experimented with playing with piped-in crowd noise on Wednesday, and it received mixed reviews. Maddon liked it because he found the silence distracting on Tuesday, but third baseman Anthony Rendon wasn’t a fan because the noises didn’t correspond with the action.
“You’re looking at a pizza, but you’re smelling a hamburger,” Rendon said.