Stefanic (quadricep) began a rehab assignment in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League on Monday, starting at second base and playing three innings while going 1-for-2 with an RBI.
On the mend from a left quad strain since late February, Stefanic has reached the final stage of his recovery program now that he's back playing in minor-league games. Since he's been out of commission for nearly two and a half months, Stefanic will presumably stick around in Arizona for a few more games before continuing his rehab at one of the Angels' higher-level affiliates. Once the Angels are confident that he's regained his timing at the plate and has put the quad injury in the rear-view mirror, Stefanic could return from the 60-day injured list around when he's first eligible in late May. He'll likely be ticketed for a utility role once he's reinstated, though Stefanic has a minor-league option remaining and could be sent to Triple-A Salt Lake if the Angels don't have room for him on the big-league roster.
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Angels' Guillermo Zuniga: Starts up rehab assignment
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Zuniga (pectoral) began a rehab assignment Monday with the Angels' rookie-level Arizona Complex League affiliate, recording two outs while striking out one and allowing one hit.
Though he didn't issue any walks, Zuniga was a bit wild in his first rehab outing, as he hit a batter and threw a wild pitch. Given that he's been on the shelf since April 8 with a right pectoral strain, Zuniga will likely require a handful of appearances at multiple minor-league affiliates before he returns from the 15-day injured list.
Angels' Kevin Pillar: Continues to boost team's offense
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Pillar went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and an additional RBI in Monday's loss to the Cardinals.
Pillar knocked in three of Los Angeles' five runs in the defeat, drilling a two-run homer in the third inning and adding an RBI single in the eighth. The veteran went just 1-for-6 through his first three games after joining the club April 30, but he's been on a heater of late, recording three multi-hit performances across his past five games. Over that span, he's batting ..474 (9-for-19) with three home runs, 12 RBI, six runs and a stolen base.
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Angels' Jose Soriano: Fires 5.1 scoreless frames
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Soriano tossed 5.1 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and three walks while striking out six batters in a no-decision against St. Louis on Monday.
Soriano allowed just two baserunners through five frames before running into trouble in the sixth, when the Cardinals loaded the bases against him with one out. The right-hander was lifted at that point, and Adam Cimber was able to come to the rescue by inducing an inning-ending double play. As such, Soriano was credited with his second scoreless outing over his past three starts, though he lost an opportunity for a victory due to a late collapse by the Angels' bullpen. Soriano has shown flashes of excellence but has been inconsistent since moving into the rotation April 10 -- in seven starts since that date, he's given up one or zero earned runs on four occasions but has yielded exactly four earned runs in each of the other three starts.
Calhoun went 3-for-4 with a solo home run and an RBI double in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Royals.
Calhoun was responsible for both of the Angels' runs in the game. The homer was his first with the team, and he's up to three RBI, six runs scored and a .333/.361/.606 slash line over 36 plate appearances since he was called up from Triple-A Salt Lake at the start of May. That productivity has helped him carve out a role as the Angels' primary designated hitter, though it's unlikely he'll be able to sustain his production in the long run.
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Angels' Patrick Sandoval: Allows four runs in loss
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Sandoval (2-6) gave up four runs on 11 hits and struck out three without walking a batter over six innings to take the loss Sunday versus the Royals.
The Royals went with death by a thousand cuts against Sandoval -- just one of the 11 hits went for extra bases. All four runs were surrendered in the fourth inning, and the southpaw kept runners off base in just one of his six frames. This was the fifth time in nine starts Sandoval has given up at least four runs. He's at a poor 5.00 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 48:17 K:BB through 45 innings this season. Sandoval is projected to make his next start on the road against the Rangers.
Trout said Thursday that he doesn't yet have a timeline to return from the surgery he underwent on his left knee, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports. The slugger also stated that he was given the option to postpone surgery until after the season and play exclusively as a designated hitter, but he opted to get the procedure done immediately.
Trout underwent surgery to repair the meniscus in his left knee May 3. The Angels have stated that they expect the three-time AL MVP to return before the end of the season, but it remains unclear exactly how much time he's expected to miss. Though Trout could have played through the injury and held off on surgery in order to serve as the Angels' DH, he may not have been able to do so at his usual level of effectiveness, as he indicated that such a route would have required a high level of injury management and substantial pain.
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Angels' Jo Adell: Homers in second straight
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Adell went 1-for-4 with a three-run homer in Saturday's win over the Royals.
Adell jumped on a hanging slider with two men on in the second and launched it 419 feet for his seventh home run of the season and the third in his last four games. The outfielder has also hit safely in five consecutive contests, racking up six RBI over that stretch to go along with five runs scored. Despite those impressive numbers, Adell is still batting just .176 in May and has recorded multiple hits in only one game this month.
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Angels' Kevin Pillar: Another three-hit performance
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Pillar went 3-for-4 with a triple, three RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base in Saturday's win over Kansas City.
Pillar led off the bottom of the second with a triple before coming around to score on a three-run shot from Jo Adell as the Angels took a 3-1 lead. The recently acquired outfielder added two RBI singles on the night in addition to swiping his third bag of the season. Pillar has now tallied three hits in two of his last four contests, posting nine RBI and five runs scored over that stretch.
Anderson (3-4) picked up the win over the Royals on Saturday, allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out four over 6.2 innings.
Anderson surrendered one run in the top of the first on a Salvador Perez double before going 1-2-3 through each of the next three frames. The lefty would allow another run in both the sixth and seventh innings, but he was still able to secure his third win of the season thanks to being provided with ample run support. Anderson has now gone at least six innings in three consecutive starts and is yet to allow more than three earned runs in an outing. Saturday also marked his first win since April 8 against the Marlins, as he had lost each of his previous four decisions coming in.
Calhoun is not in Saturday's lineup against the Royals.
Calhoun was in the lineup against a lefty Wednesday, but he'll take a seat in this one against southpaw Cole Ragans. Look for Calhoun to play regularly as the designated hitter when the Angels face a right-handed pitcher.
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Angels' Mickey Moniak: Sits against lefty
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Moniak is not in Saturday's lineup against the Royals.
Per usual, Moniak will be on the bench to start the game with the Angels facing a southpaw (Cole Ragans). Kevin Pillar picks up the start in center field, batting cleanup.
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Angels' Niko Goodrum: Swipes bag in team debut
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Goodrum went 0-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base Friday in a loss to the Royals.
Goodrum was claimed off waivers from Tampa Bay on Thursday and made his Angels debut one day later, starting at third base and batting fifth in the order. Though he went hitless in his team debut, the utility man drew a walk in his first plate appearance and subsequently stole second base. Goodrum could get regular at-bats given his versatility and Los Angeles' drastically depleted infield. He's struggled to make contact during his major-league career but has demonstrated good speed with 47 stolen bases on 61 attempts.
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Angels' Jo Adell: Swats homer Friday
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Adell went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's loss to Kansas City.
Adell accounted for the Angels' only run with a 436-foot solo shot to center field. That held up until the ninth inning, when the Royals scored twice off Los Angeles closer Carlos Estevez to emerge with a comeback win. Adell has put together a modest four-game hitting streak, during which he has gone 5-for-15 with two homers and three RBI.
