OC Register: Angels lefty Tyler Anderson struggling to find his mechanics

[AngelsWin.com]

BOSTON — Tyler Anderson hasn’t started his Angels career the way he’d like.

The left-hander has a 6.75 ERA in his first three starts, and that includes six scoreless innings in his debut against the Oakland A’s. Since then, Anderson has allowed 11 runs in 8-2/3 innings.

And he said the problem has been the same in each of the last two starts.

“I just feel like I don’t have a good feel for my mechanics right now,” Anderson said on Sunday, a day after he gave up six runs in four innings to the Boston Red Sox. “The nice thing is, you know when it clicks it can just feel right. I’ve just had a hard time finding that feel. When that happens, you’re out there trying to compete but without really knowing where the ball is going to go.”

Anderson’s fastball barely cracks 90 mph, so he relies on his control and keeping hitters off balance with his off-speed pitches, particularly a changeup that he improved in his All-Star season with the Dodgers last year.

In his first three starts, though, he’s been out of the strike zone too much.

“It’s hard pitching when it’s 2-0, 1-0, 2-1 and then you’re just throwing a fastball away,” Anderson said. “If I were going to hit, that’s what I’d want.”

On Saturday, Anderson was handed a 4-0 lead on Gio Urshela’s grand slam before he threw his first pitch. He then walked the first hitter he faced in the bottom of the inning.

“We score four runs in the first and my job is to put up a zero here,” Anderson said. “Go out, attack the first guy. I walked the first guy with full intent of like, ‘I’m gonna attack and get strike one, get the first guy out, make him hit the ball. I’m gonna go out and be aggressive.’ That was the intention. Didn’t work out that way.”

TEPERA TO IL

Right-hander Ryan Tepera was placed on the injured list with shoulder inflammation, but he said was relieved that it doesn’t seem to be that serious.

He said his plan is to take just a few days off from throwing. He’ll still be out a minimum of 15 days.

“I’m not too worried about it,” Tepera said on Sunday. “It was more of a scare thing than anything.”

Tepera said he felt a strange tightness in his shoulder during his outing on Saturday. He remained in the game for a few more pitches, but he eventually signaled to the dugout that something was wrong, and he was removed from the game.

“Obviously after that feeling, in the back of my mind, I just didn’t want to let the next couple of pitches go,” Tepera said.

Right-hander Andrew Wantz was recalled from Triple-A to replace Tepera. Wantz had not pitched at Triple-A since the Angels optioned him earlier in the week.

RENGIFO IN THE OUTFIELD

Manager Phil Nevin gave left fielder Taylor Ward the day off on Sunday, so Luis Rengifo got the start in left field.

Nevin said he opted to put Rengifo — normally an infielder — into the outfield, instead of fourth outfielder Brett Phillips, because they wanted Rengifo’s bat.

Also, Nevin said left field at Fenway Park is not that challenging because there is less ground to cover, a point that Phillips confirmed.

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“It’s complicated, for sure,” Nevin said. “There are different things involved with it, but you understand how close that wall is and where to play. He’s been out there (practicing) for three days. We feel like we’ve got it covered.”

Rengifo played regularly in the outfield during spring training. The Angels have intended all along to use players like Rengifo or Jared Walsh — who is currently on the injured list — as outfielders when the starters need days off, with Phillips then going in for defense.

NOTES

Zach Neto started in the leadoff spot in his second big league game, filling Ward’s normal spot. Neto hit in that spot often in the minors, and Nevin said he likes Neto’s strike zone discipline. …

Ward said he took a tour of Fenway Park, just like a regular tourist, on the off day on Thursday.

UP NEXT

Angels (RHP Shohei Ohtani, 2-0, 0.47) at Red Sox (RHP Bryan Bello, 2-8, 4.71 in 2022), Monday, 8:10 a.m., Fenway Park, Bally Sports West,  830 AM.

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[arch stanton]

 

These guy will find him some mechanics

[tomsred]

This kind of scares me.  He will be pitching against Kansas City next, so hopefully he can find his "mechanics" against a poor team.

[James]

5 hours ago, tomsred said:

This kind of scares me.  He will be pitching against Kansas City next, so hopefully he can find his "mechanics" against a poor team.

Its rather normal for pitchers to go through these stretches during the season. As always, when it happens to start the year it is magnified. I mean, he proved in his first start that he could get a little league team out so it isnt like he just lost his stuff. 

[T.G.]

Pitching seems to be so unpredictable.  It's crazy.  Makes you appreciate the guys who are consistently good for a good chunk of their careers.