LA Angels catcher Jonathan Lucroy completed his rehab assignment with the Angels Class A Advanced MiLB squad, the Inland Empire 66ers, with 2 hits with a walk and an RBI in the contest. Also featured in the big 15-1 victory against Visalia was burgeoning power prospect Gareth Morgans grand slam as well a strong 5.1 inning affair from prospective pitcher Oliver Ortega.
The Angels saw catcher Jonathan Lucroy return to the big league team after a strong rehab assignment last night with the Inland Empire 66ers versus the visiting Visalia Rawhide. The 66ers pulled out 15-1 win over Visalia in which Lucroy score three runs with 2 hits (one double), and a walk as well as one RBI in the affair. The 66ers are a whole were on fire as they scored runs in all but 3 innings and allowed just one run to the Rawhide across three different pitchers (Ortega, Lind, Tavarez).
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Lucroy caught a full 9 inning workload in the affair and in the process caught Angels prospects such as Oliver Ortega and Luke Lind. Oliver Ortega carries a mid 90’s fastball with solid sink as well as an above average slider and curveball combo.
His change-up requires a bit more development than his other pitches, specifically with his feel for commanding the pitch. Sixteen of his 21 appearances this year have come as starts and nine of those starts have seen him go at least 5 innings. Overall he’s posted a 3.34 ERA in 94.1 IP with 121 K’s and 49 BB’s while holding hitters to a sub .200 batting average.
After the game we caught up with Jonathan Lucroy for a few questions regarding his rehab assignment, catching some of the Angels pitching prospects as well as the play that led to his injury back in Houston a few weeks ago.