ANAHEIM -- The Angels built a commanding 7-0 lead over the Astros through the first five innings of Tuesday night’s 10-1 win at Angel Stadium, but the status of two key position players remains a focal point.
First baseman Nolan Schanuel and catcher Sebastián Rivero both exited the game early, prompting the Angels to go to their bench in the dominant offensive showing.
The departures come as the Angels continue to manage a handful of recent roster adjustments. The club entered the week with several players already on the injured list, including position players Jorge Soler, Vaughn Grissom and Adam Frazier.
Schanuel’s night ended after two plate appearances. In the bottom of the first inning, he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to drive in the opening run of the night. After staying in the game to hit a single in the second, Trey Mancini replaced him defensively at first base to begin the top of the fourth. The team subsequently announced Schanuel left the game due to left calf tightness, which manager Kurt Suzuki confirmed was a direct result of the first-inning hit-by-pitch.
The calf issue follows a recent stretch of lower-leg ailments for the first baseman, who had just returned to the active roster on Saturday after missing time with left ankle tendinitis. He also sat out of Monday's series opener due to lingering soreness in that same ankle.
Rivero left the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. The backup catcher has been highly productive at the plate, extending a streak of seven consecutive hits over his last seven plate appearances after hitting two singles earlier in the night. During his third at-bat, however, Rivero appeared to grimace after fouling off a pitch, and the Angels elected to pull him mid-count for pinch-hitter Logan O'Hoppe, who struck out, which was credited to Rivero and brought his streak to an end.
Suzuki confirmed postgame that the injury was to Rivero's left hand.
“We're getting a CT scan tomorrow and [will] see what the results are," Suzuki said, noting the exit raised immediate concerns. "Definitely when you got to come out of the game, for me, that's always a red flag. But, once we get the results back tomorrow, then we'll know more."
Any potential hand or wrist issue is a tough break for a catcher, a position where depth is thin for the Angels. They're already missing veteran Travis d'Arnaud due to a 60-day injured list stint for right foot plantar fasciitis.
On the field, a five-run second inning -- fueled by consecutive two-run doubles from Wade Meckler and Jo Adell -- gave the pitching staff plenty of breathing room. The offense manufactured its run support through situational hitting and disciplined plate appearances rather than the long ball.
"I thought [the at-bats were] great. Using the whole field, that's a fun way to win too," Suzuki said. "Yeah, we love homers, but I think when you watch the quality of at-bats ... hitting behind the runners and all the guys running hard 90s down the line and taking the extra base was fun."
Among those contributing was Mike Trout, who singled to right field in that second frame to snap an 0-for-22 skid.
"Yeah, it was definitely good to squeak one in there," Trout said. "Felt like the past couple weeks, just hitting balls hard and being caught, but that's how baseball is."
Trout noted that a minor mechanical adjustment helped him stay back and see the ball clearly again after a tendency to crash forward caused him to lose his vision and chase.
The early cushion proved vital for Walbert Ureña, who earned the victory by navigating through five scoreless frames despite walking five and battling his command over 107 pitches.
"I was trying to find my command the whole game, so it was great to get out of that inning and get the win," Ureña said. "Mentally, I'm just trying to be calm. I know it's a little bit frustrating, throwing many pitches, but at the moment I'm just trying to get outs and just trying to fight it."
Suzuki praised the 22-year-old starter's competitive durability, noting Ureña was still hitting 98 mph on his final batter of the fifth.
"He didn't have his best command, but his just desire to get through that game is what pulled him through. And that -- you can't teach that," Suzuki said. "Gosh, it was fun to watch, but it was stressful to watch too."