Lorenzen hoping he’ll be back with Angels in 2023
OAKLAND » Michael Lorenzen’s season with the Angels hasn’t gone quite as planned, but he’s eager to try again next year.
“I want to keep coming back,” the right-hander said on Tuesday. “This is home for me and I love it here.”
An Orange County native and product of Cal State Fullerton, Lorenzen signed a one-year, $7 million deal with the Angels last winter to come home and to get a chance to start after he’d been a reliever for most of his career.
Lorenzen’s season worked out well for a couple of months, but his shoulder began bothering him in June. After a July 1 start, he and the medical staff decided he need to shut it down.
Lorenzen had a 3.45 ERA through his first 10 starts, and then he gave up 16 earned runs in 11 innings in his next three.
Lorenzen is now progressing toward a return to the mound in September. He threw his first bullpen session in weeks on Tuesday in Oakland. He had tried to come back around the All-Star break, but he pushed it too fast and the Angels decided to slow it down.
“I felt really said hitting is the biggest good,” obstacle. Running and he said after throwing should not be Tuesday’s an issue. session. Trout will advance to “Everything batting practice and then will face live pitching before feels great. he can play.
It feels normal.” “However we got about this is based on how he
How Lorenzen, feels, and so far it feels really 30, performs in good,” manager Phil September will certainly Nevin said. have an impact on his future. He’ll be a free agent again this winter, and he left little doubt that he wants to continue to be a starter and he wants to pitch for the Angels.
The Angels’ starter depth chart for next season is topped by Shohei Ohtani, Patrick Sandoval and Reid Detmers. José Suarez, who has not allowed an earned run in three starts since he began using a new changeup, is also positioning himself for a role in 2023.
It is likely the Angels will still try to acquire at least two more starters to give them depth.
Trout update
Mike Trout began hitting balls off a tee this week, another incremental step toward returning to the Angels’ lineup.
Trout, who has been out with rib cage inflammation since July 12, has insisted he will be back this season. Head athletic trainer Mike Frostad
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Nevin said on a few occasions that reliever José Quijada seems to feed off the energy of the crowd. Nevin, however, said on Tuesday that would not deter him from using Quijada in Oakland when the ballpark is mostly empty. “He’s a professional,” Nevin said. “He’s going to have to learn to pitch in a lot of places. He’s done that. I think he’s learning that. He’s getting better with it, especially in those save spots.” ... Outfielder Dillon Thomas cleared waivers and was assigned to Triple-A Salt Lake. The Angels designated Thomas for assignment when they claimed outfielder Steven Duggar on Sunday . ... The Angels moved shortstop Zach Neto from ClassA to Double-A after just seven games. Neto, the Angels’ first-round pick in last month’s draft, was 5 for 25 with a home run at Class-A.