Angels GM stoic as DL reaches double digits
In what has become a seemingly unavoidable part of his daily responsibilities, Los Angeles Angeles general manager Billy Eppler placed another player on the disabled list Wednesday - this time, catcher Geovany Soto - to extend his club's list of injured players to 10.
Still, even with the Angels mired in fourth place in the American League West amid their unrelenting spate of injuries, Eppler managed to remain stoic when speaking with reporters ahead of Wednesday's 8-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
"It's part of the gig," Eppler told MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez. "You have to navigate that 162-game schedule and get through the season."
Though Eppler remains cavalier about his club's injury woes, the Angels have already lost their de facto ace, closer, All-Star shortstop, and everyday catcher for extended periods, while a laundry list of ailments have kept their complementary players off the field, too.
| Player | DL since? | Injury |
|---|---|---|
| C.J. Wilson | April 3 | Left shoulder inflammation |
| Andrew Heaney | April 6 | Torn left UCL |
| Huston Street | April 28 | Left oblique strain |
| Craig Gentry | May 1 (retro to April 26) | Right lumbar strain |
| Garrett Richards | May 9 (retro to May 2) | Torn right UCL |
| Andrelton Simmons | May 10 | Torn right thumb ligament |
| Cliff Pennington | May 13 | Left hamstring strain |
| Daniel Nava | May 16 | Left groin strain |
| Cory Rasmus | May 16 | Right groin strain |
| Geovany Soto | May 18 | Torn meniscus |
Soto, the latest victim, will undergo surgery for a torn meniscus and is expected to miss four-to-six weeks - a particularly devastating blow for an Angels team that ranks 12th in the American League in runs.
"It sucks," said Soto, who owns a 129 OPS+ through 20 games in 2016. "It's one of those things you really wanted to not have at all. I take pride on being in shape, just to give a better chance on my knees and my legs. It's one of those things where God has a plan. I thought I did everything in my power to stay healthy. I'm in great shape, I'm working really hard. It's just one of those things where it's bad luck."
Mike Trout, one of the few Angels players not nursing an injury, almost didn't believe it when he was told Soto was heading to the disabled list.
"Someone was telling me (he was hurt) and I thought they'd be joking with me. Obviously seeing him go down, it sucks. But another guy's going to get his opportunity."