Halos call up No. 3 prospect Green

ANAHEIM -- Grant Green, 25 and four years removed from being a first-round Draft pick out of the University of Southern California, is still a man without a position.

He was called up from Triple-A Salt Lake on Tuesday, seven days after the Angels acquired him from the A's in a one-for-one deal that sent third baseman Alberto Callaspo to Oakland, and started at second base, but he still doesn't know where he fits long-term. Green came up as a shortstop, is most comfortable playing second base, had a brief stint in the outfield and has been getting schooled on third base since joining the Angels' organization.

"It's fun, kind of, playing different positions now and then, but you still want to play a position you feel comfortable with," said Green, who picked up his first big league hit, a single, in the second inning and finished 2-for-4. "I'm glad that, with the A's, I was able to play all those positions because I kind of have that in my back pocket, but playing the last year at second base has really been kind of helpful because I only have one position. I'm able to get as comfortable and work out the little kinks that you get as you play through the year."

The Angels are still holding out hope that Howie Kendrick (left knee sprain) can avoid the disabled list, but for at least the next four days, Green, Chris Nelson and Tommy Field will essentially be alternating at two positions -- second and third base.

Green spent his first full season at shortstop, split time between shortstop and center field in 2011, got ample time at five positions in 2012 -- center field, left field, shortstop, third base and second base -- and has mostly played second base in 2013.

The Angels' immediate opening is at third base, where Callaspo no longer resides and where top prospect Kaleb Cowart still needs more time. Green started his last four games in Salt Lake at third base, working closely with roving infield instructor Omar Vizquel, but he still has work to do.

"It was nice to get on that side of the diamond again," Green said of a position where he's played in only 15 of his 462 Minor League games. "The more and more games got there, the more and more comfortable I felt there."

Now the Angels' No. 3 prospect, Green has posted a .306/.354/.468 slash line in five Minor League seasons and has performed at every level. In his first season at Triple-A last year, he hit .296 with 15 homers, 73 RBIs and 13 steals. This year, he's hit .326 with 11 homers in 93 games.

If he proves he can hit at the big league level over these next two months, the Angels will find him a position.

"Being a competitor, you want to go out and do well, and that's what I'm going to see it as," said Green, a Fullerton native who grew up a Giants fan but frequently visited Angel Stadium. "I'm not going to see it as, 'Oh, I have to do it.' It's going to be the type of thing where I want to. Hopefully I play well and they see it as a good thing going into the offseason and maybe Spring Training next year."