(March 3, 2016) - MLB.commlb.mlb.com/.../March_3_2016_Clips_vo2xd8ye.pdf · March 3, 2016 Page 2 of 16 Today’s Clips Contents FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES (Page 3) Matt Shoemaker

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Clips

(March 3, 2016)

March 3, 2016 Page 2 of 16

Today’s Clips Contents FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES (Page 3)

Matt Shoemaker gives up a quick home run

Angels fall in exhibition opener to the Giants, 4-1

FROM THE OC REGISTER (Page 5)

Angels' Matt Shoemaker still trying to rediscover 2014

Final: Angels fall to Giants in Cactus League opener, 4-1

FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 7)

Shoemaker looks to regain splitter dominance

Cron confident he'll produce with playing time

Santiago crisp in two-inning spring debut

Working the angles, Mahle gives hitters fits

FROM THE DESERT NEWS (Page 7)

Taylor Ward embracing LA Angels' spring training grind

FROM THE LA DAILY NEWS (Page 13)

LA Angels’ Andrelton Simmons insists he can get better, even on defense

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Page 15)

Samardzija allows run in 2 innings in 1st game with Giants

March 3, 2016 Page 3 of 16

FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

Matt Shoemaker gives up a quick home run

Pedro Moura

The problem that plagued Matt Shoemaker last season revisited him on his second pitch of the spring —

which was hit over the right-field fence Wednesday at Scottsdale Stadium.

The 29-year-old Angels right-hander rose from obscurity to record 16 victories and a 3.04 earned-run

average in 2014. Angels Manager Mike Scioscia called him that season's savior. He returned earlier than

expected from injury to produce the only positive playoff performance on the team.

And then, much like the San Francisco starter he opposed Wednesday in the Angels' Cactus League

opener, Shoemaker's 2015 was significantly worse: a 7-10 record, a 4.46 ERA. Unlike Jeff Samardzija,

whom the Giants guaranteed $90 million this off-season despite a two-run increase in his ERA,

Shoemaker must compete for a spot in his team's rotation in 2016.

What will determine whether he wins one, he believes, is his pitch location. He found success two years

ago by pounding the bottom fifth of the strike zone. He rarely surpassed 91 mph with a pitch, but if he

aimed low hitters hammered them into the ground.

He felt his results last year reflected his failure to hit the low target as often.

"There were a lot of little things, but overall it was just more up in the zone," Shoemaker said. "I am not

a guy who throws 100 miles an hour. If you do, you can pitch up in the zone more and not get hurt. For

me, you're down in the zone, you're fine."

To stay down, he must visualize hitting his catcher's glove before he parts with the ball.

"That's really what it is for me," he said. "Sometimes your mind floats away from you, but if I focus on

that glove I'm going to hit it nine times out of 10."

He did not hit Carlos Perez's glove with the elevated fastball he threw to Conor Gillaspie for his second

pitch of the Angels' spring opener against the San Francisco Giants.

"Solo homers are not going to beat you too often, so that's not a big deal," Shoemaker said. "But I have

to learn from that. I don't want to give up homers ever. It was frustrating, but at the same time I know

how to fix it.

"Now it's just a matter of doing it."

Second chance

For the first time since his freshman year of high school, Kaleb Cowart is playing second base.

March 3, 2016 Page 4 of 16

He has been splitting time equally between second and third base, the position he played exclusively for

the first five seasons of his pro career. The team asked fellow prospect Kyle Kubitza to practice at second

last September, and they added Cowart to the transition list this spring.

Veteran Yunel Escobar is expected to man third this season, but Johnny Giavotella's spot at second base

is more vulnerable.

"You're always looking at players and versatility," Manager Mike Scioscia said. "You're looking at

opportunities to see if a third baseman can play second or fill in at shortstop or play the corners. All

these things widen a player's ability to receive opportunities."

Not long ago, many Angels officials envisioned Cowart as a franchise cornerstone at third base by now.

A first-round selection in the 2010 draft, he entered spring training three years ago as a top-100

prospect in baseball. When the regular season started, he was 20 and playing in double A. But he hit

.222 with 12 home runs over two full seasons there and spent spring training with the minor leaguers

last year.

Now 23, Cowart started hitting after a demotion in 2015 and even earned a big league call-up, during

which he struggled.

Short hop

First baseman/designated hitter C.J. Cron led the Angels in hitting last spring with a .413 average and

.733 slugging percentage in 26 games but slumped once the season began. He ripped line drives on his

first two at-bats Wednesday. "We need his offense, and I think he's comfortable with that," Scioscia

said.

Angels fall in exhibition opener to the Giants, 4-1

Highlights from the Los Angeles Angels' 4-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants in the exhibition opener on

Wednesday.

AT THE PLATE: Facing San Francisco right-hander Jeff Samardzija, Carlos Perez doubled and came around

to score on a sacrifice fly by Rafael Ortega. … C.J. Cron doubled and was stranded. … Ji-Man Choi, a Rule

5 selection who must make the team or be offered back to Baltimore, played the entire game, singled

once and struck out three times. … Cliff Pennington singled. Two other Angels worked walks.

ON THE MOUND: Left-hander Hector Santiago started and gave up one single in two scoreless innings. "I

was definitely anxious," he said. "The first one is the most important, to start off on the right foot. Just

attack and pound the zone. All the work you put in, you can see where you're at." Matt Shoemaker,

Santiago's primary competition for a spot in the rotation, surrendered a home run on his second pitch,

March 3, 2016 Page 5 of 16

to former Angels third baseman Conor Gillaspie. Shoemaker gave up a single to the next hitter he faced,

then finished the remainder of his two innings without incident. … Right-hander Cam Bedrosian gave up

four hits and three runs in one inning.

EXTRA BASES: The 2002 World Series rematch was the Angels' first game of the spring. … The Angels

used only three players from what is likely to be their opening-day lineup: Cron, Perez and second

baseman Johnny Giavotella. … Santiago said he was lucky to not have to face Gillaspie, his former

teammate with the White Sox who has twice hit him with fast-paced comebackers. …Angels owner Arte

Moreno was in attendance at Scottsdale Stadium. … Former Angel Grant Green, who appeared as a sub

for the Giants, singled and scored.

UP NEXT: Oakland Athletics on at noon Thursday at Tempe Diablo Stadium. On the air: TV: Fox Sports

West; Radio: 830.

FROM THE OC REGISTER

Angels' Matt Shoemaker still trying to rediscover 2014

By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – A year ago Matt Shoemaker was out to prove that 2014 wasn’t a fluke.

He still is.

“It’s the same,” Shoemaker said of his mindset heading into spring training 2016. “Everybody in this

game has had difficult bumps in the road. If you’re the best player in the world, there are always slumps.

Mine just lasted a little bit longer than I wanted last season.”

Shoemaker, who gave up one run in two innings in his Cactus League debut Wednesday, may have the

same attitude this spring, but his position on the roster is vastly different.

Instead of having locked up a spot in the rotation, as he did following his 16-4 breakout season in 2014,

Shoemaker is one of eight pitchers competing for five jobs in the rotation.

Truth be told, he’s probably among the three who would be left out right now.

“We have a bunch of guys fighting for five spots, but there’s nothing different you can do,” Shoemaker

said. “You can only control what you can control. If you have that mindset, it helps. Everything else takes

care of itself.”

Although Shoemaker said his attitude is the same this season as it has been, the results have varied

widely through a rollercoaster coaster.

March 3, 2016 Page 6 of 16

Shoemaker came from nowhere – undrafted, lightly regarded as a prospect – to become a fixture in the

Angels rotation in 2014. He posted a 3.04 ERA and had moved up to be the No. 2 starter in the

postseason. He finished second to Jose Abreu in the Rookie of the Year voting.

But 2015 was a disappointment, to the tune of a 4.46 ERA and even a brief demotion to Triple-A.

“Just all over the board parts of last year,” Shoemaker said.

One of the most significant changes was his inability to keep the ball in the ballpark. Relying on a sinker

that normally generated lots of ground balls, Shoemaker gave up 24 homers in 2015 after allowing 14 in

essentially the same number of innings the previous year.

"It was frustrating, but that was my error, because (the splitter) was up, most of the time," Shoemaker

said. "The ones that were getting hit around were up in the zone. If those are where I want them to be –

finish at the knees, pitch up on purpose whenever you’re trying, change eye levels, that whole thing – is

pitching. It was frustrating, but at the same time I know how to fix it. Now it’s just a matter of doing it."

To Manager Mike Scioscia, the difference was a simple lack of sharpness.

“Coming out of spring, he just wasn’t making the pitches you hope you would see,” Scioscia said. “And

then I think he started to chase velocity at times when he wasn’t feeling too well. But that’s behind

him.”

Shoemaker actually was optioned to Triple-A in late August. He made one start and seemed to solve

some of the mechanical issues that had been dogging him. When he returned, he gave up one run in 14

1/3 innings in two starts.

“I felt great,” he said. “My mind was great. My body was great. My body was in tune. Unfortunately, a

few starts after that I got the forearm strain.”

In Shoemaker’s third start after coming back from Triple-A, he got hurt. He didn’t pitch again.

So this winter, Shoemaker did all his normal workouts, with the addition of some specific exercises to

strengthen his forearm.

Beyond that, his mindset hasn’t changed.

“In all honesty, I approach it the same way,” he said. “Just getting ready for the season and going from

there.”

March 3, 2016 Page 7 of 16

Final: Angels fall to Giants in Cactus League opener, 4-1 By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER THE GAME: Cam Bedrosian gave up three runs in the sixth inning to snap a tie, as the Angels lost, 4-1, to

the San Francisco Giants in their Cactus League opener Wednesday at Scottsdale Stadium. The Angels

had just four hits.

PITCHING REPORT: Hector Santiago faced seven batters in two scoreless innings. Santiago didn’t mind

that he come out for the third inning, because Conor Gillaspie was due to lead off for the Giants.

Santiago said Gillaspie hit him with line drives the last two times he faced him, during the season last

year and during spring training when they were teammates with the White Sox. Gillaspie instead

homered against Matt Shoemaker. It was the only run Shoemaker allowed in two innings. ... Greg

Mahle, a Westminster High product, struck out one in a scoreless inning.

HITTING REPORT: Carlos Perez and C.J. Cron each doubled. ... Perez scored on a sacrifice fly by Rafael

Ortega.

DEFENSE REPORT: SS Roberto Baldoquin bobbled a ball but recovered quickly enough to make the play.

ALSO: The Angels lineup included only three players who are likely to be in the opening day lineup,

Johnny Giavotella, Perez and Cron. ... Giavotella hit leadoff, but is not expected to bat there during the

season. ... Mike Trout and most of the rest of the everyday players are expected to start Thursday in the

Angels’ home opener. ... Ji-Man Choi started the game at DH but then moved to first base, so the Angels

lost their DH for the rest of the game.

UP NEXT: Angels (Garrett Richards) vs. A’s (Eric Surkamp), 12 p.m. PT, Tempe Diablo Stadium.

FROM ANGELS.COM

Shoemaker looks to regain splitter dominance

Angels starter struggled to keep formerly reliable pitch down in 2015

By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com | @Alden_Gonzalez | March 2nd, 2016 SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Angels starter Matt Shoemaker will frequently spread his right index finger and middle finger out wide, place a baseball in between them and fire a pitch just like he would a fastball, only to watch it tumble toward the dirt right before hitting his catcher's mitt. This is a split-finger fastball. And for the majority of his adult life, this was the pitch Shoemaker could rely on most. Last year, in the midst of a down season, that's the pitch that betrayed him.

March 3, 2016 Page 8 of 16

Shoemaker has thrown split-fingers just a tick over 21 percent of the time in his two full seasons in the

Major Leagues. Two years ago, opposing hitters slugged .227 against it. Last year, they slugged .435. The

split-finger went from being responsible for more than half of Shoemaker's 124 strikeouts in 2014 to

more than a third of the 24 home runs he allowed in 2015.

"It was frustrating, but that was my error, because it was up most of the time," Shoemaker said

Wednesday, after giving up a run on two hits and a walk in two innings of his spring debut at Scottsdale

Stadium.

"I know how to fix it. Now it's just a matter of doing it."

Pitch-f/x data shows Shoemaker's splitter actually wasn't located up in the zone more frequently last

year, however.

In 2014, 25.25 percent of them were middle and up. And that rate actually dipped to 21.49 percent in

2015. But Shoemaker sometimes locates up in the zone intentionally. And often times in 2015, he said

he tried to bury that split-finger fastball and left it just a tad higher than he wanted to, causing it to get

hit around like never before.

"It's just really that final extension out front," Shoemaker said. "That's really what it is for me. If I

mentally visualize hitting that glove, I'm going to do it."

Shoemaker went 16-4 with a 3.04 ERA in 136 innings in 2014 and 7-10 with a 4.46 ERA in 135 1/3 innings

in 2015, his home run totals increasing by 42 percent. Now he's seemingly competing with four others --

Andrew Heaney, Hector Santiago, Tyler Skaggs and Nick Tropeano -- for two rotation spots.

"I'm not a guy who throws a hundred miles an hour," Shoemaker said. "If you throw a hundred miles an

hour, you can pitch up in the zone more and not get hurt. For me, it was definitely more up in the zone."

Cron confident he'll produce with playing time

Angels backup first baseman believes consistency is key

By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com | @Alden_Gonzalez | March 2nd, 2016

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- C.J. Cron is the guy everyone keeps looking at, for obvious reasons. He projects to

play a lot of first base for the Angels, with Albert Pujols still early enough in his recovery from foot

surgery. He will be counted on to drive in a lot of runs, because the offense is generally lacking in thump.

And he's the man many will point to -- from the bleachers, the clubhouse and even the executive offices

-- as the X-factor for this Angels team.

March 3, 2016 Page 9 of 16

"I'm ready for it," Cron said. "I'm excited. I'm sure everyone says it, but nobody puts more pressure than

you put on yourself. It'll be fun."

Cron's first two at-bats of the spring produced two sharp line drives to the opposite field, into the glove

of Giants second baseman Joe Panik and down the right-field line for a double at Scottsdale Stadium on

Wednesday. They were easy reminders of Cron's last spring, when he batted .413/.432/.733 over a 26-

game stretch and seemed poised for a breakout 2015 season.

Then the lights came on, and the numbers plummeted.

As of May 24, Cron's regular-season slash line sat at .204/.225/.276. He was sent to the Minor Leagues, and called back up, and sent back down, and called back up again, all in a matter of 34 days.

"It was a little bit of everything," Cron said of his early season struggles. "I didn't get consistent at-bats, and then when I got in there I just tried to do too much. I tried to prove myself throughout one game instead of trying to put together good at-bats. I think that kind of caught up to me."

Most young players take getting sent down as something of a wakeup call, a sign that they need to either make a key adjustment or simply get better.

Cron was bullish.

"I knew I could hit," he said. "When I got sent down, I didn't think I needed to retool anything. I knew my swing was fine. For me, it was just getting the consistent at-bats and just seeing the pitches."

Cron came back up one last time June 29 and suddenly morphed into the Angels' second-most consistent producer for more than three months, prompting Angels manager Mike Scioscia to stop sitting him against righties.

From July 1 to Oct. 4, Cron batted .289/.330/.506, with 14 homers and 44 RBIs over a 76-game stretch.

The 26-year-old right-handed power hitter posted an .835 OPS in that stretch, trailing only Mike Trout

for the team lead.

His season ended at .262/.300/.439, with 16 homers, 51 RBIs and two completely different halves.

"I got to play every day, so I felt more comfortable in the box," Cron said. "And then everything seemed

to click for me."

Cron called the offseason that followed his first normal one as a professional. He required shoulder

surgery after 2012, played in the Arizona Fall League and the Dominican Republic following the 2013

season and had a cyst removed from his wrist in 2014. This winter, he got to the gym early and focused

solely on the upcoming year.

"I feel good, I feel comfortable, I feel quicker, I feel stronger," Cron said. "I think it benefitted me."

The Angels can only hope.

March 3, 2016 Page 10 of 16

"We need his offense," Scioscia said, "and I think he's comfortable with that. He's very, very confident in

what he can do."

Santiago crisp in two-inning spring debut

Starters Santiago, Samardzija each work two innings in Cactus opener

By Chris Haft / MLB.com | March 2nd, 2016

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Christian Arroyo's RBI double capped a three-run uprising that snapped a sixth-

inning tie Wednesday and led the San Francisco Giants to a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels in a

Cactus League opener.

With the score knotted at 1, Trevor Brown singled off Cam Bedrosian to open San Francisco's half of the

sixth and ultimately scored on Ryan Lollis' single. Grant Green's single prolonged the inning before a wild

pitch sent home Lollis. That put Green in position to score on Arroyo's drive, which skipped over the

right-center-field barrier.

Each starter lasted two innings. Angels left-hander Hector Santiago blanked San Francisco on one hit while striking out two. Right-hander Jeff Samardzija, making his first appearance as a Giant, yielded one run and two hits. "I was definitely anxious," Santiago said. "No doubt I had a lot of adrenaline. The first one is the most important, to start off on the right foot. Just attack and pound the zone, just see where you're at. All the work you put in, you can see where you're at." Samardzija, who commanded a five-year, $90 million deal in free agency, also felt jittery.

"It's like the first day of school," he said. "You've been thinking about this moment for about four

months now."

Samardzija's wayward control helped the Angels open the scoring in the second inning. He loaded the

bases by issuing one-out walks to Craig Gentry and Todd Cunningham after Carlos Perez hit a leadoff

double. Rafael Ortega's sacrifice fly scored Perez.

Conor Gillaspie's third-inning leadoff homer off right-hander Matt Shoemaker drew the Giants even.

Angels Up Next: Garrett Richards makes his Cactus League debut as the Angels host the A's for their first

Spring Training game at Tempe Diablo Stadium on Thursday, with first pitch at 12:10 p.m. PT. Mike

Trout, Kole Calhoun, Andrelton Simmons and Yunel Escobar are all slated to suit up for the first time.

Giants Up Next: Intent on rotating his everyday players during the first few weeks of Cactus League

games, manager Bruce Bochy likely will have left fielder Angel Pagan, center fielder Denard Span and

March 3, 2016 Page 11 of 16

third baseman Matt Duffy in the lineup for Thursday's 12:05 p.m. PT game against Milwaukee in

Scottsdale.

Working the angles, Mahle gives hitters fits

Lefty prospect adds submarine delivery to three-quarter arm slot

By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com | @Alden_Gonzalez | March 2nd, 2016

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Left-handed Angels reliever Greg Mahle faced off against left-handed Giants hitter

Joe Panik with two outs in the fifth inning at Scottsdale Stadium on Wednesday. The first two pitches

came from a three-quarter arm slot, the next two were delivered submarine style and the last two came

from three-quarters once again. All were strikes, ultimately inducing an inning-ending flyout.

Mahle, ranked 12th in the Angels' system by MLBPipeline.com, could conceivably help the Major League

team this year. He's 22 years old, is slated to begin the season in Triple-A and profiles as the left-on-left

specialist this Angels bullpen has basically spent the last four years searching for.

Throwing from two arm slots should help.

"It's just so natural to me," said Mahle, who finished 2015 with a 3.26 ERA, a 1.28 WHIP and a 4.79

strikeout-to-walk ratio at Class A Advanced and Double-A. "It's not too difficult."

Mahle doubled as a first baseman throughout his time at UC Santa Barbara and often threw sidearm when tossing a baseball around the infield. His natural arm slot when he pitches has always been three-quarters. But at least once an outing, Mahle experimented with throwing a submarine-style fastball.

Hitters hardly ever swung, but the Angels loved the concept. They drafted Mahle in the 15th round of the 2014 Draft and had him focus on pitching from two arm slots as soon as he entered their system. Now he throws four pitches from three-quarters and two others, a fastball and a slider, from down below.

Same-side hitters posted a .732 OPS against him in the Minors last year, which was actually better than the .714 OPS righties hit off him. But the Angels believe that can improve.

"It's just something to think about, you know?" Mahle said. "Especially for a lefty. Nobody likes hitting a sidearm lefty. It's something in the back of their mind."

March 3, 2016 Page 12 of 16

FROM THE DESERT SUN

Taylor Ward embracing LA Angels' spring training grind Nathan Brown, The Desert Sun

Taylor Ward strolls off the Angels’ auxiliary spring training practice field Tuesday afternoon, shadowing Los Angeles catchers coach Steve Soliz as they chat about the morning’s workout. The former Fresno State and Shadow Hills High baseball star waives off an autograph-seeker waiting patiently on the fence, the pair too deep in conversation as they waltz on by.

But as Ward walks into the Los Angeles clubhouse, preparing to peel off his No. 99 jersey, it’s clear that life as the Angels’ 2015 No. 1 pick isn’t all that glitzy anymore, autograph hounds aside.

“They just gave me this,” Ward jokes, pointing toward his jersey number. “Aaron (Judge), he’s with the Yankees and played with me at Fresno, and he got 99. I think he’s keeping it, too. But I will not be keeping this one. … I like six, seven, any single-digit, but 99 is as high as it goes.”

The actual day of the draft was great, sure, Ward says. He remembers watching on TV and seeing the Angels’ draft room go bonkers in celebration after the Orioles’ 25th pick was announced and the Fresno State catcher was still on the board.

Just two days later, Ward was flown out to Tampa Bay where the Angels were in a series with the Rays, to meet with team officials, some of the Angels’ stars and take batting practice. There, he signed his contract, which included a caveat that would automatically secure him a spot at the next spring training.

From there, it was off to the Angels’ rookie league affiliate in Orem, Utah, and the ritzy life of a first-round pick ended in the span of about a week.

“After that, it was going back to playing baseball and doing what got me here, not necessarily going to try and prove that I deserve to go here, but it’s not Fresno State anymore. There aren’t coaches on your back. It’s time to go out and play.”

In the Angels’ locker room, Ward’s locker sits on a random island of four, squished together in an obscure corner. If you walk in the entrance, you could see nearly every other player sitting in front of his stash of cleats, jerseys and spandex, but Ward is far out of the spotlight.

And for now, that’s alright. Ward understands his role at spring training, and it’s certainly not to compete for a spot on this year’s major league roster, or even practice or compete much with that slate of guys.

“I haven’t caught the name-brand guys yet, and that’s OK ‘cause we have a couple new catchers that will be on the big league team, and they want to learn those pitchers as quickly as possible,” Ward said. “I’ve caught some of the minor and other big league guys, and it’s nice and easy to catch them, but once you go back down to the minors, it’s all over the place. Taking what they do and talking to those pitchers down there I think will help them a lot. Maybe that’s another reason why I’m here.”

March 3, 2016 Page 13 of 16

But that caveat in his contract isn’t to say Ward didn’t earn himself a spot at spring training, either. During 56 combined games with rookie league Orem and Single-A Burlington this summer and fall, Ward shined at the plate, batting .348, with 11 extra-base hits, 31 RBIs and 30 runs scored. As a catcher, he started 49 games and registered just four errors and caught 29 runners stealing.

At times, he said, it felt even easier than college baseball, except when he made a mistake, he was no longer the highly sought-after college junior but a rookie many see already as one of the Angels’ top minor league prospects.

But he did his best to weed out all the noise, just play baseball and be thankful for the opportunity he’d been given because it means he did something right along the way.

“I can care less if a ball goes by me. It happens. It’s baseball. If I strike out, it’s OK ‘cause I’m just going with the flow, doing what got me here,” he said. “I have a target on my back, and that’s the way it’s going to be, and I’m OK with that. I know it’s beneficial.”

When he went back to visit some of his teammates at Fresno State in the offseason, Ward said he felt like he was in a different world after just one semester away. He had more than adjusted to being an adult, and his first thought wasn’t that after just three years with the Bulldogs that he could still be there.

FROM THE LA DAILY NEWS

LA Angels’ Andrelton Simmons insists he can get better, even on defense

By JP Hoornstra, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

TEMPE, Ariz. >> Andrelton Simmons arrived in the Angels’ clubhouse with the reputation of a defensive

wizard. Some have crowned him the second coming of shortstop Ozzie Smith, the 13-time Gold Glove

award winner who backflipped his way into the Hall of Fame with a .262 career batting average.

Simmons’ video highlights abound: clips of him ranging to his right, ranging to his left, throwing off

balance, throwing in the air, charging the ball, going back on the ball, turning a double play.

Denizens of baseball analytics departments are familiar with a statistic called Defensive Runs Saved, or

“DRS” for short. According to DRS, Simmons saved 25 runs last year for the Atlanta Braves, more than

any infielder on any major league team. In 2014, Simmons saved 28 runs; in 2013, he saved 41.

“He’s one of the best in the business, no question about it,” said Angels coach Alfredo Griffin, a

shortstop during his playing career.

For his part, Simmons arrived in camp insisting he can be even better in the field.

At what?

March 3, 2016 Page 14 of 16

“You’d be surprised,” he said Wednesday.

Simmons recalled seeing one clip of a shortstop – he thinks it might have been Alcides Escobar of the

Kansas City Royals – ranging to his left on a ground ball deep up the middle. The shortstop spun, briefly

turning his back to first base, then ripped off a throw as his momentum carried him into the outfield.

This is not a play that Simmons feels comfortable making right now.

“I like seeing where I throw, not just spinning and firing,” he said. “That’s something I can get better at.”

Maybe it’s easy for Angels fans to get the impression that Simmons was born with the tools of a Wizard.

He won his first Gold Glove as a 23-year-old rookie with the Braves in 2013 and another the following

season. (Simmons was the runner-up to San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford last year.)

But there was a time, Simmons said to cite another example, that he was bad at charging a ground ball

and fielding it with his bare hand. He’s gifted, sure, but he’s put in long hours already and plans on

putting in more.

So when he gets the chance this season, Simmons would like Griffin to hit ground balls to his forehand

and backhand, to try and expand his already considerable range.

“I think I’m like everybody,” he said. “I try to maintain, try to improve. Try to make more plays routine.”

The consensus around baseball is that Simmons has the most room to grow as a hitter. He doesn’t strike

out much, but he doesn’t reach base much either. His .338 slugging percentage last season was better

than only two qualified shortstops: Escobar and Jean Segura of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Simmons hit a career-high 17 home runs as a rookie, which guided Mike Scioscia’s thought process

Wednesday when he described Simmons’ potential.

“I think he’s high contact,” the Angels manager said. “I think he feels confident in situations whether

he’s got to move around, get the bunt down, hit and run, put the ball in play. He’s got some pop, which

he showed early on in his career. Hopefully he’ll drive the ball to his capabilities.”

What Simmons hasn’t done to this point in his career, maybe as much as what he has, helps explain why

the Angels were willing to give up Erick Aybar and their top two pitching prospects to get Simmons in a

December trade with the Braves.

Even defensively, Griffin agreed that Simmons has room to grow.

“He’s still young,” Griffin said. “There’s upside on him. You never know everything in this game. The

ability he has to play the position is natural. So when he gets his head together, and his ability, he’ll be

one of the best.”

The Dodgers announced that Josh Ravin will miss the next 8 to 12 weeks after the right-handed pitcher

underwent surgery on his broken left radius bone Tuesday. Ravin, 28, suffered the break in a car

accident Monday after he swerved into oncoming traffic on a city street in Glendale, Arizona to avoid a

March 3, 2016 Page 15 of 16

collision. ... Dodgers pitcher Brett Anderson was scheduled to undergo tests on his lower back one day

after he threw live batting practice at Camelback Ranch. The pitcher is lined up to make his Cactus

League debut Friday against the Texas Rangers, but that could be pushed back depending on the results

of the test.

Giants 4, Angels 1

Angels starter Hector Santiago threw two scoreless innings in the first Cactus League game for both

teams. Matt Shoemaker allowed one run in two innings, a solo shot by Conor Gillaspie, and bullpen

candidate Cam Bedrosian allowed three runs in his only inning of work. The Angels touched Giants

starter Jeff Samardzija for a run in the second inning on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Rafael Ortega.

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Samardzija allows run in 2 innings in 1st game with Giants SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Jeff Samardzija pitched two innings in his first game in a Giants uniform, giving up a

run and two hits Wednesday as San Francisco beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-1 in the exhibition opener

for both teams.

Signed to a $90 million, five-year contract, Samardzija walked two and struck out none.

"The first time out there is like the first day of school," Samardzija said. "It doesn't matter how old you

are, there are jitters."

Conor Gillaspie homered and Buster Posey singled in his first at-bat of spring training.

Hector Santiago faced seven batters, allowing just the hit to Posey. He struck out two.

Rafael Ortega's sacrifice fly put the Angels ahead in the second.

Gillaspie, back with the team that drafted him, made up for an error in the third with a home run off

Matt Shoemaker.

"Any time you can hit the ball with the barrel of the bat, it feels good," Gillaspie said. "The first day is

hard to look at for anything. We're all new to this."

Mike Broadway got the win and George Kontos the save. Cam Bedrosian was the loser.

STARTING TIME

Angels: LHP Hector Santiago, coming off his best season, was encouraged from the first pitch.

March 3, 2016 Page 16 of 16

"Last year, I threw a first strike pitch and had a good year," Santiago said. "This year, I threw a first pitch

strike. That's a good sign for me."

Santiago thinks the first start of the spring is his most important.

"I was definitely anxious because I want to start on the right foot," he said. "I want to go out, attack and

pound the strike zone. Four of seven first-pitch strikes, from there I can always get better. I threw three

different pitches, got a few groundballs, some swing and misses. Just get out there and get my work in."

Giants: RHP Jeff Samardzija felt like it was the first day of school and he wanted to impress his new

teammates.

"You want to set an example for the younger guys," Samardzija said. "There's no going through the

motions. You're here to get ready and to do that you consistently have your head working."

Samardzija gave up a hit and then walked the bases loaded in the second inning. He said he approached

it like a late-game situation during the regular season.

"I wanted to keep the zero up there," he said. "I wasn't going to do anything stupid. I'm OK with the first

walk, but you never want to walk the bases loaded."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Angels: LHP CJ Wilson (mild tendinitis) was in Southern California to be with his wife, Lisalla, for the birth

of their first child. He's expected to return in time to begin resuming throwing off a mound. ... 1B Luis

Pujols (right foot) might play this weekend. He's taking part in full baseball activities and has been

participating in batting practice.

Giants: IF Brandon Crawford has some soreness in his right shoulder and will be used as a designated

hitter for a week or so. "Pitchers have a pitch count, I have a throw count," Crawford said. "I'm taking it

slow. I'm taking ground balls but I'm counting every throw." ... OF Hunter Pence (right Achilles tendinitis)

had an MRI performed and could return to action next week. ... RHP Matt Cain (cyst removed from right

arm) believes he'll resume throwing in a week and will be ready by opening day.

UP NEXT

Angels: Garrett Richards will take the mound Thursday in Tempe against Eric Surkamp and the Oakland

Athletics.

Giants: Jake Peavy gets his first start of the spring Thursday against the Milwaukee Brewers in

Scottsdale. He'll be opposed by Zach Davies.