ANAHEIM -- The Angels’ injury list got a little longer Friday, but not every update was bad.
First baseman Nolan Schanuel and infielder Kyren Paris both said they are done for the season, while left-handed reliever Samy Natera Jr. got a welcome diagnosis that should keep him away from surgery after he was found to have left forearm inflammation.
Schanuel has been sidelined since Aug. 20 with a right intercostal strain, and his brief attempt to return didn’t stick. He played one rehab game with Triple-A Salt Lake on Sunday, felt the injury again in the first inning and kept going through the discomfort.
After returning to Anaheim for more tests and treatment, the Angels decided to shut him down. Vaughn Grissom and Moisés Ballesteros will handle first base over the final nine games.
“Went on a rehab, tried to come back, and wasn't feeling any better,” Schanuel said. “And talked to [head trainer Mike] Frostad and the training staff, and just thought it was best to take it easy and get back to being healthy.”
The 24-year-old closes the year with a .276/.351/.385 line, seven homers, 22 doubles and 49 RBIs in 107 games. In his third full season as the club’s starting first baseman, Schanuel had an uneven start while dealing with an ankle injury, then settled in and finished on a much better note, hitting .290/.370/.391 over his last 78 games.
“Just understanding that I can be a really good contact bat in the lineup and hit for a high average, get on base, and the power will come,” Schanuel said. “I think if my power shows in doubles, then that's the kind of hitter I have to be. Looking forward to a good offseason, train, see where it goes and come back and have a good spring.”
Paris’ season ended in a different way. He was put on the 10-day injured list before Friday’s game after fracturing his right index finger while fielding grounders during infield practice before Thursday’s game. Bryce Teodosio was recalled and is expected to be used mostly as a defensive replacement and pinch-runner.
The timing stings for Paris, who was 0-for-15 with eight strikeouts in eight games during his September callup. But his work at Salt Lake showed a much stronger offensive profile, as he hit .307/.427/.554 with 13 homers and 50 RBIs in 62 games.
He called the injury a fluke and said the six-week recovery window still allows for a normal offseason. Paris remains a candidate to provide infield depth next year, though his next step is proving he can hit at the big-league level.
“I was really just learning more about who I am as a hitter, learning more about my approach,” Paris said. “Then just working with the hitting staff there on a daily basis.
Really just keeping things simple. And then I think just reps.
Just seeing a lot more pitching, you kind of develop into becoming a better hitter.”
For Natera, the news was a relief. He has been out since Sept. 11 with left forearm inflammation, a condition that can sometimes lead to Tommy John surgery. Instead, an MRI showed no ligament damage, and he’ll face a six-week recovery that won’t cut into his offseason.
That matters for both the pitcher and the Angels. Natera was one of the bright spots of the season as a rookie, posting a 3.13 ERA with 48 strikeouts in 31 2/3 innings while adding three saves. The 26-year-old appears poised to be a significant part of the bullpen moving forward.
“I really wanted to finish strong, but this happened so I just got to get ready for next year,” Natera said. “It's my first year here and just to see that I can hang here, it's good and just motivating for next year.”
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The appeal is obvious for a club searching for reliable outs after the starters hand over the lead. Watson has trimmed his numbers sharply since the move, posting a 1.88 ERA and 0.98 WHIP, and he has earned a bigger role in the process. The larger question for the Angels is whether this is the start of a real bullpen answer or just a late-season burst from a pitcher who was barely on the radar a few weeks ago. [Read more 🡒]
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The challenge now is less about what they have done and more about how much the Angels should ask them to do from here. Urenas rise has put him in the mix for AL Rookie of the Year consideration, and Detmers has looked like a pitcher the organization can lean on for years to come, but both are also carrying more innings than they have before. For a team not playing for a postseason chase, the balancing act is clear: keep the development momentum going without pushing either arm too far. [Read more 🡒]