Angels News: Bullpen reinforcement is on the way, top prospect keeps getting benched

The Los Angeles Angels have dominated the Los Angeles Dodgers and Athletics this season, but their series loss to the A's over the weekend has left them reeling. The team's already abysmal odds to make the playoffs are looking closer to 0 than ever before after dropping two of three in Sacramento, but they do have a big-ticket reliever on the cusp of returning.

Angels News: High-priced bullpen reinforcement is on the way

Robert Stephenson, who makes $11 million a year and has made two appearances in the past two seasons, looks to be close to returning to the bullpen. The Angels rushed his rehab assignment earlier this season, and will likely do so yet again after how good his stuff looked with Triple-A Salt Lake.

Stephenson now has two rehab appearances, one on August 14th and one on August 17th. His return to the Angels' bullpen will make the unit look much more formidable, with Kenley Jansen closing, Stephenson and Reid Detmers as set-up men, Brock Burke, Luis García and Andrew Chafin as middle relievers, Ryan Zeferjahn as a swing man and Carson Fulmer as a long reliever (José Fermin will likely be optioned back to Triple-A when Stephenson is activated).

The Angels' bullpen was electric in June, but as a whole the unit has been bad. Stephenson returning will be a good story given what he's experienced physically since joining the Angels, but it's extremely far-fetched that he could spark a true playoff push.

Angels News: Top prospect keeps getting benched

Christian Moore has drawn starts in three of the Angels' past eight games, was inserted into the game off the bench in four games and did not play in one game on August 9th against Detroit. Since Moore's left thumb injury healed and he returned from the injured list on August 3rd, he is slashing just .182/.308/.242/.550. He has 3 RBIs in that span, which all came during the Angels' series finale against the Athletics yesterday. For the season, Moore has a .186/.304/.337/.641 slashline.

There is a clear explanation for Moore's sporadic playing time -- Luis Rengifo and Yoán Moncada start against right-handed pitchers, Moncada cannot hit left-handed pitching due to his knee issue, so Moore pinch hits for Moncada when the opposing team inserts a left-handed reliever. Interim manager Ray Montgomery is deploying a three-man rotation between third base and second base, and Moore is the third man.

“I don’t want to sacrifice his development any more than I want to limit what Yo and Luis can do at the same time,” Montgomery said in front of Jeff Fletcher of The OC Register. “I don’t know the answer to that entirely, other than to say I agree that if (Moore) sits too long, it can be detrimental. We don’t want to do that. We’re managing through that.”

If the Angels were completely out of the playoff picture, then Moore would undoubtedly be playing every game. However, the Angels added at the trade deadline and are still trying to push for the postseason despite sitting at seven games behind the New York Yankees for a Wild Card spot with four teams in front of them. Moving forward, fans will not have to worry about Moore's playing time given that both Moncada and Rengifo are pending free agents.

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