Ortega or Choi could be off roster
MILWAUKEE — The Angels will soon face a roster decision. When left f ielder Daniel Nava is activated from the disabled list, perhaps on Friday, they probably will remove either Rafael Ortega or Ji- Man Choi from their major league roster.
They can option Ortega to triple- A Salt Lake whenever they’d like. They cannot option Choi without first offering him back to Baltimore, the team that signed him as a minor league free agent in the off- season.
But Ortega has played far more than Choi and played better. So, the Angels may soon cut bait on the 24- yearold f irst baseman they se- lected in December’s Rule 5 draft.
“I would imagine if any player is going to stay on our club, there has to be a role for him,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “With Ji- Man, it’s still being defined.”
Choi has batted 18 times. He has five walks and one single. On the roster half as long, Ortega has 12 singles and four walks in 46 plate appearances.
Roenicke returns
One year ago Tuesday, Milwaukee f ired their manager of f ive seasons, Ron Roenicke. He latched on as the Dodgers’ third base coach three months later and, three months after that, in the same role with the Angels.
Monday was his f irst time at Miller Park since the f iring. He conducted a news conference with local media members for 20 minutes. And Craig Counsell, the new Brewers manager, told reporters his team was paying particular attention to Roenicke.
“He’s always looking to — I don’t want to say steal signs, but pick up signs, pick up tips, get advantages,” Counsell said. “He’s very good at it, so you keep an eye on it.”
Short hops
For the second time in 17 seasons as a major league manager, Scioscia batted his pitcher eighth on Monday. Jered Weaver hit in front of No. 9 hitter Johnny Giavotella, in an attempt to provide more baserunners for No. 3- hitting Mike Trout. … The Angels have confirmed to Rick Thurman, Tim Lincecum’s agent, that they will have a scout at Lincecum’s showcase Friday in Scottsdale, Ariz. A two- time Cy Young Award winner, Lincecum has been rehabbing from hip surgery for the last several months. Lincecum, who will be 32 next month, has a career 3.61 earned- run average, but has not recorded a mark below 4.13 in f ive years. ... An MRI exam on Monday revealed that lefthander Tyler Skaggs has biceps tendinitis, the Angels announced. He’ll be shut down for the next week, and then reevaluated. He felt shoulder tightness while working his way back from Tommy John surgery with triple- A Salt Lake.