Angels righty Michael Lorenzen began a rehab assignment yesterday, throwing 47 pitches over three innings for the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees. He went on the injured list July 7, retroactive to July 4, due to a shoulder strain. He was eventually transferred to the 60-day IL, meaning he isn’t eligible to be activated until September 2.
The return of Lorenzen won’t be terribly significant for the Angels, since they are 13 1/2 games out of a playoff spot and won’t be in competition during the final weeks of the season. However, it will be an important stretch for Lorenzen personally as he will be heading back into free agency in a few months.
During his time with the Reds, he was frequently deployed as a reliever. But when he reached free agency, he went looking for an opportunity to return to starting, which he found with the Angels. Signed to a one-year, $6.75MM deal, Lorenzen’s return to the rotation went well for a few months. He had a 3.45 ERA through mid-June, having made ten starts. Unfortunately, he allowed 16 earned runs over his next three, ballooning his ERA 4.94. At this point, one could argue that Lorenzen proved himself a capable starter that was just waylaid by an injury, while a pessimist could say he proved he’s better suited to shorter stints out of the bullpen. Teams on the lookout for pitching this winter will keep an eye on how he fares in the coming weeks, with Lorenzen surely hoping to tip the scales with a strong finish to the campaign.
Some other notes from around the Junior Circuit…
- Astros lefty Blake Taylor is being pulled off his rehab assignment, tweets Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. General manager James Click says that Taylor is dealing with “posterior elbow discomfort.” Taylor’s been on the IL since June due to elbow discomfort. Click tried to downplay the update, but the fact that the rehab is being paused is noteworthy. With just over six weeks remaining in the season, there’s not much time left to restart a rehab and get back to the team. The club has been shorthanded in terms of left-handed relief all year, with Taylor’s 16 innings leading the team. Deadline acquisition Will Smith is currently the only southpaw in the bullpen. However, it seems the team can probably do just fine regardless, as lefties have hit just .217/.299/.299 against Houston’s bullpen overall this year.
- White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal left Saturday’s game with an obvious injury, having to be helped off the field. With only about six weeks left on the schedule, some folks were understandably worried that his season might have ended right then and there. Thankfully, it’s been nothing but good news since. Yesterday, the club announced that further testing revealed no serious damage and that Grandal could return to action in 10-14 days. Today, Grandal is walking around the clubhouse as if the injury never occurred, tweets Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times. Manager Tony La Russa says that Grandal is getting treatment but also swinging in the cage already. The backstop is having a down year, particularly in the power department. He only has three homers on the season, after hitting more than 20 in each of the previous five full seasons. But he still walks in 12.4% of his plate appearances and could be a difference maker if he can quickly return to health and rediscover his power stroke.
Best of luck to Grandal. Sox need him.
They need him to not only be healthy, but to hit again. If he doesn’t improve at the plate, I’d rather have Seby starting. Happy he’s not seriously hurt, but he’s not made the Sox better this year.
I can’t wait for Grandal to get back. I really enjoy watching him unable to block pitches, miss throws from the OF – but Grandal does have 8 xtra base hits this year. Middle of the order hitter.
Also, please extend LaRussa. Give him one more chance.
As a Sox season ticket holder, I believe the Sox will lose just as well without him. 6 times in the last 2 games against KC, they have loaded the bases without scoring. The only way they are going to the post season is if Clev and Mn quit.
Head back to the Northside Cub Boy! You are not fooling anybody with the “Sox season ticket holder”. Go back to the rebuild on the Northside. Cease and Cueto will lead the way!
Sorry to disappoint you loser. Die-hard Scrubs hater here.
If the Sox make the playoffs its a miracle, and likely will not happen, not with this lackadaisical team and their lack of accountability. This team should not make the playoffs if you watch them, I mean not being able to drive a run home from third with less than 2 outs? Ick, poor base running? ugh, baffling managerial decisions, c’mon… Abhorrent Fielding? Jeez… Watching these guys hit is painful. I mean these guys literally watch baseballs go down the middle and don’t swing only to swing at the next pitch at eye level.. Heck they cannot hit 92 down the middle when they do swing…. I mean its amazing to the point were you’d swear they have been throwing games all season.
It will be nice to have Lorenzen back in September so Toukie doesn’t get anymore starts. I would also like to see Ky Bush get a couple of September starts to see what the Angels have in him.
I wouldn’t mind the Angels re-signing Lorenzen this winter. But maybe as a BP piece.
Grandal has had a very rough year all around, but I don’t know why.
Because he’s washed up?
CWS are stuck with Grandal for another year. That being said he should be be a platoon catcher, DH and back 1B next year and that’s it. Get a defense first catcher and top of the line game caller for 2023. Not sure that is Zavala, but a Zavala and someone else with Grandal starting once a week would make me happy.