On Thursday night the Los Angeles Angels fell to the Dodgers 7-0. Angels manager Mike Scioscia voiced his concern for starting pitcher C.J. Wilson, who surrendered four runs in 5 2/3 innings in his second start since returning from the disabled list.
It's no secret Wilson has been struggling. Behind a powerful Angels lineup, the left-hander is only 8-8 with a 4.82 ERA. After missing nearly a month with a sprained ankle, Wilson's first two starts off the disabled list combined for seven innings pitched, 12 hits, 10 earned runs, six walks, and two losses. The Angels have no room for error in a tight AL West division race with the Oakland Athletics.
Manager Mike Scioscia remains optimistic about Wilson resolving his pitching woes, but he also expressed his concern about the starter. Angels' management is worried too, as it has been reported that general manager Jerry Dipoto is mulling a waiver claim/trade for a starting pitcher - he already claimed reliever Vinnie Pestano off waivers yesterday. Beyond Jered Weaver and Garrett Richards, the Angels starting rotation isn't particularly built to perform down the stretch or in the postseason.
The Angels' crosstown rivals might also be looking for a starter as they've ran into problems of their own. The Dodgers placed Josh Beckett on the disabled list with a left hip impingement and a groin strain. Despite the injury, Beckett has also been struggling (6.55 ERA over his last five starts), but that could have been attributed to his ailments. The Dodgers acquired starter Roberto Hernandez off of waivers from Philadelphia, but they might need to make one more move if Dan Haren's struggles continue (1-5 in his last six starts with a 7.84 ERA) or if Hernandez doesn't pan out.
Fortunately for the Cubs, they're in no rush this season to make changes to their pitching staff, but they're looking ahead to next year. On Wednesday they claimed Cole Hamels off of waivers, but couldn't work out a trade with Philadelphia in the allotted 48 hours given for waiver transactions. But Chicago moved on and acquired 23-year-old Jacob Turner from the Miami Marlins, who's struggled this year but has a lot of potential. They could still attempt to make a waiver trade with teams who are willing to send off their pitchers, but they also might wait until free agency this offseason when they can throw big contracts at impending free agents Jon Lester, James Shields and Max Scherzer.
These teams will likely continue to remain active in moving and/or acquiring players to prepare themselves for the postseason and next year. You can keep up with the latest news on ESPN's MLB Rumors page.
