With their opening game on April 1st against the Chicago White Sox, the 2021 Los Angeles Angels have roughly two weeks of spring training left before the regular season.
Shohei Ohtani continues to impress in spring training having hit two home runs Monday in a 7-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.
2021 Los Angeles Angels: Ohtani on Pace for a Strong Spring Training
We all know of his two-position potential, his 2018 season where he won the American League Rookie of the Year Award and that he can pitch and hit but so far in Spring Training, we’ve seen some big moments from Sho Time.
In his first game, Shohei Ohtani hit a monster home run against the Texas Rangers that went 468 feet over the center-field wall. The Angels won the game 6-2. Ohtani is 3-for-5 with the home run, two RBI, and one walk.
In a game against the White Sox, he allowed one run on three hits and walked two in 1.2 innings of work on 41 pitches. He showcased some 100 mph pitches as well and struck out five batters.
In Monday’s loss to the Reds, he hit two opposite-field homers. He is currently batting .563 with a 1.681 on-base-plus-slugging this spring.
2021 Los Angeles Angels Manager Joe Maddon has said that Ohtani will not have restrictions on his game this season in terms of when he pitches, hits, and how he conducts himself in relation to game preparation. Since he is also back working both in the batter’s box and on the mound, he seems to have found a good rhythm to both sides of his game.
Ohtani hit another home run in yesterday’s game against the Cleveland Indians off of Cy Young Winner Shane Bieber. The Angels crushed the Indians 17-8 in the game. Ohtani has four home runs in Cactus League play to lead the Angels.
Roster Cuts and Changes
Brandon Marsh was also optioned by the Angels on Monday. He had been dealing with a shoulder injury from last season.
Marsh was also limited by COVID-19 as he did not get the chance to play for the Angels Triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake and instead was part of the Angels alternate site.
Marsh will be challenged by the organization to earn his right to play for the big league club. He is also up against a 2021 Los Angeles Angels outfield that includes Mike Trout, Jo Adell, Justin Upton, Taylor Ward, and Scott Schebler. Dexter Fowler figures to be in that mix too.
The Angels also added Junior Guerra to their 40-man Roster which means that he is likely to be there on Opening Day. Guerra spent his recent seasons with the Brewers where he saw time as a starter and reliever.
With the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2020, He made 25 appearances covering 23 innings with a 3.04 ERA and 4.12 FIP. He had a below-average 20.4 percent strikeout rate and a well-below-average 14.6 percent walk rate.
Other Exciting Club News
The 2021 Los Angeles Angels have also announced some other club news for Opening Day. Dylan Bundy will take the mound for the Angels against the White Sox on April 1, 2021.
Bundy who was acquired before the 2020 season from the Baltimore Orioles, looked strong for the Angels when the season resumed in July 2020 after the start of COVID-19 going 6-3, with a 3.29 ERA to go along with a FIP of 2.95, and a WHIP of 1.036.
Jose Quintana has had nine scoreless innings so far this spring. Quintana has an 83-77 record with a 3.73 ERA over his nine-year career. He had a rough 2020 but has the confidence of Maddon, who had him in Chicago for three seasons. He will help a 2021 Los Angeles Angels rotation that was second last in the majors with a 5.52 ERA last season.
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