Angels to use both Cozart, Calhoun at leadoff
OAKLAND -- The Angels will determine their leadoff hitter based on matchups, manager Brad Ausmus said Saturday, as they used Kole Calhoun in the top spot against right-handed starters in the first two games of the season, but Zack Cozart was atop the lineup against lefty Brett Anderson on Saturday.
Ausmus joked that he’s picking his lineup out of a hat, but it’s apparent that while it’s not a strict platoon, Cozart is likely to see action in the leadoff spot against lefty starters.
“You might see Coz[art] here a few times against lefties,” Ausmus said. “He’s led off before here. He led off in Cincinnati. We’ll see how it goes.”
Both hitters have extensive experience as leadoff hitters, as Calhoun is a career .270/.333/.463 hitter in 270 games atop the lineup, while Cozart has batted .239/.290/.413 in 215 games in the first spot.
The Angels are looking for a bounce-back year from Cozart, who hit .219/.296/.362 with five homers and 18 RBIs in 58 games before undergoing season-ending surgery on his labrum in his left shoulder in June. It came after a career year with the Reds, hitting .297/.385/.548 with 24 homers, 24 doubles and 63 RBIs in 122 games while being named an All-Star for the first time.
"I’m hopeful he returns to the form he was in 2017," Ausmus said. "That’s my working hope. We’ll just have to see how it goes."
Buttrey to serve as fireman
Ausmus said that he plans on using reliever Ty Buttrey in high-leverage situations, as he had him warming up in the fifth inning in Friday’s game when Matt Harvey loaded the bases with nobody out. Harvey, though, got out of the jam with a strikeout and a double play, and Buttrey later came into the game in the seventh inning and threw a scoreless frame.
“If you want to call it high leverage or a situation where I think a game hinges, you might see him up,” Ausmus said. “Traditionally he’d probably be late innings but occasionally he may be non-traditional because of that reason.”
Ausmus not worried about Allen’s velocity
Closer Cody Allen threw a scoreless ninth on Friday, but his average fastball velocity was 91.4 mph, which was down from his averages of 93.5 mph last year and 94.3 mph in '17. Ausmus, though, cautioned it’s early in the season and Allen has been working with pitching coach Doug White to get his velocity back on track.
“I’m sure he’d like to see 97 every time he throws the baseball,” Ausmus said. “But he’s pitched in the back end, which is an important part of it because there is a makeup portion to being a closer. So the stuff he’s doing with Doug, he’s working to get his velocity back. We’ll see how it goes.”