The Los Angeles Angels are coming off a sweep of the defending World Series Champion Kansas City Royals and now have their record at .500. The Angels came into this season with major question marks in their rotation, and it didn't seem like they could suffer any injuries to their starters if they wanted to be successful.
Well, the Angels have two-fifths of their rotation currently on the DL in Andrew Heaney and C.J. Wilson, yet the starting pitching has actually been pretty good. Nick Tropeano has filled in admirably for Heaney so far, but the one weak link has been Matt Shoemaker, who is in Wilson's spot.
Wilson came into spring training and almost immediately started dealing with issues in his throwing shoulder. Towards the end of spring training, Wilson started to rehab what the Angels called shoulder inflammation, but he was shut down again so that he could work on his mechanics.
In early April, Wilson was cleared to resume throwing again, but even at that time, it was expected that he was a long way off. Now, however, it seems as though he is even further away than the Angels or he would have initially expected. Wilson and the Angels have mapped out a plan that includes his first time throwing on a mound, his first simulated game and his first rehab assignment, which will all lead to a possible return in mid-June if everything goes right.
The 35-year-old starter says that he is very frustrated with the process because he just wants to pitch, but he knows that taking it slow is the best course of action right now. The Angels are working with Wilson on new mechanics that should help him prevent future injury, and he says that it has taken a little time but he is starting to feel more comfortable with them now. The southpaw is learning these new mechanics while throwing on flat ground, as the plan doesn't call for him to throw from the mound until early May.
Wilson only made 21 starts last season since he was dealing with injuries then, too, but when he was on the mound, he was pretty good. In 132 innings pitched, Wilson had a 3.89 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. He has extra motivation to comeback and perform well this season, as he is in the final year of his deal with the Angels and will become a free agent at season's end. The lefty will not only have to show that he is healthy, but he will also have to pitch well, so there will likely be a spot in the rotation waiting for him when he does eventually come back.
