TEMPE, Ariz. -- The protective netting behind home plate at Angel Stadium will extend an extra 20 feet in 2016, satisfying Major League Baseball's recent push to increase fan safety by shielding them from hard-hit foul balls and flying bat barrels.
The Angels' protective net will now take up 3,584 square feet, 528 square feet larger than last year and an increase of 743 square feet from where it was in 2013. The new netting is 106 feet wide, with 10 extra feet tacked on to each side. It will extend somewhere between Sections 111 and 113.
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MLB announced a list of recommended guidelines for protective netting at its stadiums in December.
Teams were encouraged to add netting, or some sort of protective barrier, to shield fans in all field-level seats between the near ends of both dugouts and within 70 feet of home plate. The Commissioner's Office retained a consultant to assist clubs, and there was also a call to explore better ways to educate fans about the dangers of sitting so close to the field of play.
Worth noting
• Ian Desmond is off the board, according to sources, signing a one-year, $8 million deal with the division-rival Rangers. Assuming the deal goes through, the Angels would have the 16th overall pick secured in the 2016 Draft. Desmond was the last remaining free agent tied to Draft-pick compensation.
• Tyler Skaggs, 18 months removed from Tommy John surgery, probably won't appear in a Cactus League game when the schedule begins next week. He's a couple of days away from throwing live batting practice for the first time. Angels manager Mike Scioscia said Skaggs "has to go at his own pace."